Highway 1 fatality

[Bugeater]

I've driven highway 1 along the northern California coast many times. It truly is a beautiful stretch of highway, but it certainly is dangerous. Many crashes happen every year.

We can rule out fog as a factor in this crash since today was cold by very clear due to high winds yesterday. Typical causes are being run off the road by a vehicle going the other way, not paying attention and missing a corner, going too fast and missing a corner, going too fast when the road is slippery, and the list goes on...

These days when I drive on 1 I have to go so slow there is very little cause for concern. My wife gets car sick... Sort of a built in warning that I can't silence.

Really sad to hear about this though.

 

[DavidB]

I'm very sorry for Thoelecke's family, but I do take solace in knowing that the global Model S fleet has passed 1 billion kilometers driven and this is only the second known fatality.

 

[wiztecy]

I live in fairly close, in Santa Cruz, and the coast line / highway 1 is a very dangerous place where you need to be focused 100%. There's always fatalities and cars going off cliffs along the ocean and ravines. Same with the back roads. This is why we have earthquakes here! The terrain changes very fast and aggressively to the tectronic shifts in the area: San Andreas Fault - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's why its so beautiful and amazing here, but also dangerous.

I'm curious if autopilot would have helped in this case.... I know if it was up and running, yes most likely. But I'm wondering if there could be a feature on the autopilot where if you made a mistake / dozed off the car could calculate this and over-ride the manual input of the driver. Honestly I hate auto anything, especially driving. But as I grow older, and when I approach my 60+ age in the future I'd like it more as my vision and other things such as reflexes deteriorate. I can see that technology saving many lives.

Possibly an option can be added that when driving manually it can "watch" the driver and if it detects a bad decision / harmful situation to over-ride the manual input. Of course the driver would have to acknowledge with a checkbox and agreement that they want to accept this.

 

[invisik]

Would be interesting to see a picture looking up to the road from where the smashed car was found.

 

[nwdiver]

This is apparently now being investigated as a suicide... very tragic...

The cause of the crash was still under investigation. CHP Officer Jon Sloat said investigators were looking into several factors that lead them to suspect the crash was intentional on the part of the driver, including the lack of skid marks or other signs of evasive action to avoid crashing over the cliff, Sloat said. They are working with the San Rafael Police Department to look into Thoelecke’s state of mind before the crash.

 

[TomL]

With ABS there would not be skid marks even if standing on the brakes? I wonder if Tesla will have any "black box" data on speed, etc?

 

[Rebel44]

This is apparently now being investigated as a suicide... very tragic...
....

I drive 3 ICEs and none of them leave any skid marks, no matter how hard I brake, because of ABS.

 

[InTheShadows]

With ABS there would not be skid marks even if standing on the brakes? I wonder if Tesla will have any "black box" data on speed, etc?

I believe there is a blackbox in the car. Most cars have had them since the mid 90's.

Our car has a blackbox of sort on our server using teslams software.

 

[InTheShadows]

I drive 3 ICEs and none of them leave any skid marks, no matter how hard I brake, because of ABS.

I remember a physics professor telling us how they don't use skid marks anymore they look for little pieces of dirt and gravel that leave marks on the roads when abs is in use. Plus the blackbox will tell it all.

 

[jerry33]

How could you differentiate a medical condition (stroke for example) from a suicide? (assuming the body was very damaged).

 

[Wshowell]

Hello everyone,
my first post as I start my research into becoming a future owner. That stretch of Hwy 1 is spectacular and an amazing placing to drive any car especially a performance car. We own a vacation home in the area and the drive always inspires and scares the driver and passenger alike. However, as sad as it is that someone lost their life, the road is perilous and anyone pushing the limits is acutely aware of the risks. Here is a pic I took as we started on the stretch of road the accident happened on.

 

[Canuck]

How could you differentiate a medical condition (stroke for example) from a suicide? (assuming the body was very damaged).

He could have left a note, suffered from suicidal tendencies, major depression, etc. All speculation on my part and just answering the question. Condolences to the family.

Are there concrete barriers around the bends only or none at all on this stretch of highway?

 

[Wshowell]

Several corners without any restraints whatsoever, most with metal and post guard rails and the newest part of the road where landslides have occurred that have concrete rails and retaining walls. As a side note, I have yet to drive this stretch of road between Jenner and Gualala without having to slow or stop due to a cow being in the road. Seriously, it's a working ranch and the herd roams freely along the road and cliff.

 

[russman]

The SFGATE article used some choice wording...

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/...-Sonoma-County-5985492.php?cmpid=email-mobile

Two cars go off HWY 1, but the Tesla "SPED off a cliff", even though there were no witnesses, while the other unidentified car just "WENT off the cliff" even though it was actually fleeing from park rangers.

Nice unbiased reporting there...

 

[efusco]

How could you differentiate a medical condition (stroke for example) from a suicide? (assuming the body was very damaged).

Seems unlikely that a stroke would cause something like this (at least a thrombotic one). A dysrhythmia would be very hard to diagnose post-mortum unless there was an obvious congenital cardiac anomaly. An MI would be easy to differentiate. A hemorrhagic stroke as well. Seizure would be hard unless there was a history or some other classic finding. Suicide, more or less would need to be a note, an empty bottle of pills or alcohol in the car, or a strong history suggestive.

 

[LetsGoFast]

I drive 3 ICEs and none of them leave any skid marks, no matter how hard I brake, because of ABS.

If the car slides sideways, which would be normally required to go off a cliff on the side on the road, it will leave tell tale tire skids. However, the comment from the police is interesting because there could be other reasons why a car might drive off the road like inattention or incapacity. To immediately mention suicide suggests some other evidence beyond the tire marks.

 

[AWDtsla]

How could you differentiate a medical condition (stroke for example) from a suicide? (assuming the body was very damaged).

You just assume it was suicide because it gets more ad revenue, and then you report it.

 

[HVM]

How could you differentiate a medical condition (stroke for example) from a suicide? (assuming the body was very damaged).

We have some MDs here so maybe we can get a medical examiner (with real forensic pathology studies) to answer that.

Like, this thread is not morbid enough…

 

[Aargau]

We have some MDs here so maybe we can get a medical examiner (with real forensic pathology studies) to answer that.

Like, this thread is not morbid enough…

Yes, you can differentiate. Some easier than others, but if you do a full MRI you can find most hemorrhagic stroke evidence.

 

[Johan]

We have some MDs here so maybe we can get a medical examiner (with real forensic pathology studies) to answer that.

Like, this thread is not morbid enough…

Autopsy. An intracranial bleed or thrombotic stroke will leave physical clues in the brain that differ slightly from traumatic brain injuries or bleeds. Same with the heart. Many times it's often possible to find the actual clot in the brain's or coronary artery assuming it has been a massive stroke or MI.