Major accident for me tonight (5/26) (New P85 arrives 7/8)

[digitaltim]

This is a little more along the lines of why I started this thread.

At the time of impact the front airbags went off. I think the hazard lights were automatically triggered as well. What was annoying is that the radio kept playing as well as that irritating warning bell.

The car coasted and I stopped it with the brake and put on the manual emergency brake.

The center console worked for a while, I was trying to pull up the first responder guide. All were able to exit the car on their own from within.

After a while, the dome lights started to work intermittently and then went dark. The headlights and hazard lights kept on going.

When I make the pictures and dash cam video available it will be a testament to how well the model S is built and how safe it is. Cosmetically, my car looks like it had a bad fender bender, the M5 looks like it went through a shredder. A rear tire was torn off and found in the bushes with suspension components on it and the axle broken. The cast aluminum tire is laying around in pieces like a bomb went off. My nosecone is missing and frunk and front bumper are damaged but the rest of the car looks good. I think he hit me with a glancing blow, perpendicular to my front support behind the nosecone. At the ridiculously high rate of speed he was going, the support shredded the side of his car. My car was so sturdy (and heavy) that it was barely knocked off course.

Thanks Tesla, fortuitous timing and your sturdy construction likely saved four lives last night.

Thanks for thinking of everyone else during what I am sure is a crazy and emotional time...all the best and glad you are safe!!!

 

[stevezzzz]

Wow, GasDoc, the photos you posted show that the outcome for you and your passengers was determined by timing on the order of milliseconds. If the M5 had struck the S even a few inches further aft it would have engaged enough of the structure to spin you wildly, instead of glancing off the front. OTOH, if you'd been a fraction of a second later in entering the intersection, the whole thing would have been just a frightening near miss.

A friend of mine was in a very similar accident a few years ago (I don't remember the vehicle he was driving, except that it was a 4-door family sedan). A pickup coming from his left ran a stop sign at a rural intersection doing 60-80 (estimated by investigators) and struck his car just ahead of the firewall, shearing off the entire front of the car, engine and all. He walked away with minor injuries, but the two people in the pickup were killed.

Thanks for sharing your story, and I'm glad no one was badly hurt. This thread is a useful reminder to always drive defensively. And if in the event that's not enough, be glad you're driving a Model S.

 

[aznt1217]

You can drive defensively, but it's very hard to compensate for others. I was in an accident about 2 years ago, guy hit me at 60 on my rear quarter panel and I actually spun quite a bit before coming to a halt.

Glad everybody is okay for your accident. The car definitely did it's job. Those Boron beams are no joke, a standard car bumper bar would've been shredded to pieces.

 

[pguerra]

GasDoc,

1) Thank you for sharing your story and pictures - from a fellow gas doc myself.
2) Am glad to hear you and your family are fine.
3) Will be watching out and trying to drive more defensively thanks to your story.
4) Will probably be setting up a will for my own family again thanks to your story.
5) It is good to see how Model S performed in the accident. It seems to have done well.
6) Hope you get your Model S replaced soon. Please take care.

 

[joefee]

Wow…5+++ star crash rating here we come!

 

[ddenboer]

I saw (what I think is) your car today at Fremont service. They had the front bumper off (or it came off).

 

[GasDoc]

No. Must have been some other unlucky guy.

My car is at Chilton in San Carlos. Supposed to get the word tomorrow on whether it can be repaired.

 

[shokunin]

Wow, just saw this. So glad you and your family walked away without any serious injuries. Looks like 1 second later and it could have been a lot worse . It appears the M5 entered the intersection from your left and as the nose cone and boron crossmember scrapped across the M5's front passenger door and eventually pierced through on the rear passenger door. The boron steel crossmember shredded across the rear passenger door and like a samurai sword just sliced through the rear axle and suspension.

I was a witness to somewhat similar a few years ago. The car in front of me entered a 4 way lighted intersection and a lady in a Toyota Matrix going 60+mph (in 50mph road) ran the red light, didn't even slow down and T-boned the lexus in front of me. I pulled over and police where there in seconds. The officer had me write a lengthy report, both insurance companies called me to verfiy and question my statements regarding the incident.

 

[ZestyChicken]

View attachment 22689

Wow the BMW got taken to the woodshed. Incredibly impressive - especially considering cars are better engineered for front impact than side.

 

[scaesare]

First and foremost I echo the sentiment that I am glad you and family are OK. By far most important.

Secondly, thanks for sharing the pics and description... we are all driving cars fairly "untested" in the real world, so this is very useful.

Finally, a question... based on your description, it appears the BMW got airborne after "ramping" over the front fender/nose of your MS? If this is accurate, I'd guess that the majority of the damage to the BMW was from landing/rolling after that event, and not directly related to the impact with your car? I'd find it hard to believe his wheel was ripped off due to a glancing blow to your car... did he impact anything else afterward, such as a curb, etc?

Not to take anything away from The S, as it appears to have performed well... just trying to accurately understand what happened.

 

[Grendal]

Secondly, thanks for sharing the pics and description... we are all driving cars fairly "untested" in the real world, so this is very useful.

If I had children, after seeing the results of this and the other tragic accident, I think the Model S would be at the very top of the list (if you can afford it) for taking my family anywhere. I am thoroughly impressed.

 

[Mike_Schlechter]

Like everyone said, I'm glad you and your family are ok! That looks like one hell of a wreck, especially for the BMW.

Clearly Model S is tank-like and safe. Given the level of damage on the two cars I'm shocked. Generally there isn't as much physical disparity in a t-bone, even and offset like yours. Amazing.

 

[AMPd]

Still looking forward to the video and permission to use photos:smile:

 

[lodenthal]

Wow, double wow. How horrible for you. As has been said many times, we are so glad you're OK, and kudos to TM for taking safety as a first priority. Many other car makers are not taking it seriously enough. Looking forward to a 5star crash rating. Sadly, I am sure your car will figures into that crash rating at some point as data is fed to the NTSB from TM. Thank you for sharing your painful experience...

 

[Beaker]

@GasDoc, Saw your baby today, when I dropped mine off for repair work after my Son shattered a garage door window into the back of my Model S. Truly a sad sight to see, glad to hear that you are OK. From the front tires back your S looks brand new (& very shiny too)

 

[AMPd]

Any updates?
Permission to use photos?
Will the vehicle be repaired or totaled?
Was any damage done by the tow truck driver?

 

[GasDoc]

Any updates?
Permission to use photos?
Will the vehicle be repaired or totaled?
Was any damage done by the tow truck driver?

I visited my car today. They've removed the bumper and the frunk. There is no obvious damage that was done by the tow truck driver but they haven't put the car up on a lift yet.

It looks like they will repair my car. At Chilton in San Carlos, they have one of the "sleds" that Model S's are assembled on at the factory. Now that they have the car disassembled, they'll put it on the sled and do a bunch of measurements. He says that engineers from Tesla routinely come out there to inspect the damaged cars there. I probably saw ten Model S's in the body shop.

I can't post the video yet, sorry. After all the legal stuff is done, I hope to.

 

[AMPd]

Thank you for the permission
and thank you for the update, glad to see the ms will be back on its feet soon!
Hoping no damage was done by the tow truck driver, although they would surely pay for it, still better to have no damage and get the car back sooner!

 

[efusco]

I visited my car today. They've removed the bumper and the frunk. There is no obvious damage that was done by the tow truck driver but they haven't put the car up on a lift yet.

It looks like they will repair my car. At Chilton in San Carlos, they have one of the "sleds" that Model S's are assembled on at the factory. Now that they have the car disassembled, they'll put it on the sled and do a bunch of measurements. He says that engineers from Tesla routinely come out there to inspect the damaged cars there. I probably saw ten Model S's in the body shop.

I can't post the video yet, sorry. After all the legal stuff is done, I hope to.

View attachment 23311

Can't believe how little real damage there is to you car compared to that M5..really amazing.


Evan, Via Tapatalk

 

[Mycroft]

Can't believe how little real damage there is to you car compared to that M5..really amazing.

IMO, the damage to the M5 was not caused by the Model S. I think the damage was caused when the M5 driver lost control after glancing off the Model S front bumper.