accident with cyclist in Santa Cruz

[dtich]

but i am hearing about FAR too many careless driving tragedies these days, and the fact that they're all (on this board) involving model s's is doubly heartbreaking.

The underlined part confuses me. Firstly, they're not all Model S; some are Roadsters. Secondly, those are the only type of wrecks that are directly on-topic for TMC so of course those will be the ones you see here.

yeah, that was my point. i was acknowledging that we read about a lot of tesla-related accidents because it's a tesla board, but nevertheless, it's heart-sickening. (i referred only to model s's cause that's what i read about, but i'm sure there're plenty of roadster-involved incidents, obv.) i was saying that it is terrible to read about these things so often, not wondering why they were all about teslas... on the tesla board....

 

[brianman]

@dtich - Ah, understood.

 

[dtich]

@dtich - Ah, understood.

grazie

 

[wiztecy]

Appears from the latest report is that the driver of the Model-S wasn't talking on the phone as people suspected, that he'd actually fell asleep at the wheel:

CHP: Dozing driver struck, killed bicyclist north of Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz Sentinel

 

[dhanson865]

wait, the cyclist was dead on the scene wasn't he? The driver admitted to being at fault on the scene. Yet no one filed charges or took him into custody?

I'm not saying he deserves the highest possible charge but seriously how long does it take to do something other than send him home without even a ticket for reckless driving?

 

[Musterion]

The driver was charged today after the three-month investigation concluded.
Santa Cruz Tesla driver who killed bicyclist IDd, will face charges | Santa Cruz News - KSBW Home
Santa Cruz County DA: Tesla driver to be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter - Santa Cruz Sentinel

 

[markb1]

The driver was charged today after the three-month investigation concluded.
Santa Cruz Tesla driver who killed bicyclist IDd, will face charges | Santa Cruz News - KSBW Home
Santa Cruz County DA: Tesla driver to be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter - Santa Cruz Sentinel

"After a lengthy investigation that included cellphone analysis, vehicle computer analysis, crash-scene analysis, toxicology reports and interviews from witnesses, the evidence supports the charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, as opposed to felony gross vehicular manslaughter. The difference between the two being that gross vehicular manslaughter requires a person to act in such a reckless way that creates a high risk of death."

I guess that's fair.

 

[Discoducky]

The driver was charged today after the three-month investigation concluded.
Santa Cruz Tesla driver who killed bicyclist IDd, will face charges | Santa Cruz News - KSBW Home
Santa Cruz County DA: Tesla driver to be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter - Santa Cruz Sentinel

???

According to the initial CHP report on the crash, Jain bought the car new about 10 days before the crash. He told officers that the car had a strong, new-car smell that prompted him to use a baking soda car freshener in it.
Jain told authorities that the smell caused him to fall asleep and there were no mechanical problems with the car, according to the report.

 

[dhanson865]

???

According to the initial CHP report on the crash, Jain bought the car new about 10 days before the crash. He told officers that the car had a strong, new-car smell that prompted him to use a baking soda car freshener in it.
Jain told authorities that the smell caused him to fall asleep and there were no mechanical problems with the car, according to the report.

I think that's just the high paid lawyer grasping at straws to have any sort of defense other than just pleading guilty.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Dragging Tesla into this sad incident sounds like ambulance-chasing on the part of the lawyers involved with the civil suit. I'm sure the stock price and Elon's deep pockets were beckoning.

 

[lorih]

This is total BS. First off "new car smell" is no reason to excuse sleeping while driving. Secondly, I have asthma. When I bought my new VW Jetta in 2009, I had to drive with the window open for six months because of degassing of the plastic dashboard.


I have now driven in 7 different Model S. Oldest was one year old, youngest 4 days old. None of these smell the way cheaper synthetic plastics smell. There is too little plastic in the car. Dashboard and seats are leather, and trim is leather and wood!


What an idiot. He kills someone by sleeping at the wheel and tries to blame car company.. And even if it did smell, if he opened the window it would have taken care of small AND woken his sleepy a** up!

sorry, I don't usually post negative angry messages, but a bicyclist died, and a driver is looking to blame someone else, this is just too sad.

 

[hockeythug]

Tuesday, an attorney for Alper's family also filed a civil suit against Jain for negligence. The suit -- which also names Palo Alto-based Tesla Motor Co. -- alleges that Jain carelessly and negligently drove into Alper. It also contends that the Tesla in the crash was "defective and unreasonably dangerous when used in a normal, intended and foreseeable manner," according to the lawsuit.

 

[JRP3]

Load of crap. I'll bet they are going to target the display, even though his eyes were closed and obviously not looking at the display

 

[lorih]

But he admitted to driving while sleepy. He is just saying the car made him sleepy. Why would Tesla be at fault for that? It just makes no sense.

It is a tragedy, but to add insult by passing off blame is shameful.

 

[Rainbow]

Not that I buy the new car smell causing sleepiness, even if it was true that the new car smell made him sleepy. If it was true and he knew it ahead of time; why didn't he just roll down the windows to dilute the smell?

The story smells fishy.

 

[Kipernicus]

Like someone else said, lawyers grasping at straws to try and go for the deep pockets. Despicable.

Article in SF Gate.

The claim drew disbelief and scorn from Model S owners online.

 

[GasDoc]

Model S driver blames fatal accident on new car smell

So I suppose I can put my patients to sleep by giving them a ride in my car?

Tesla driver blames fatal crash on new-car smell - Fossils Energy and Clean Tech

 

[doctorwho]

It's always someone of something else's fault isn't it:scared:. The only novelty really though is that he wasn't blaming the cyclist.

 

[Lloyd]

Kinda like Homer Simpson with Beer.... MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...... New Car :tongue:

 

[Doug_G]

Tesla driver blames fatal crash on new-car smell - Fossils Energy and Clean Tech

I think the legal system finally "jumped the shark", if they're actually giving that nonsense any credibility whatsoever. Hopefully it will be tossed in record time.