Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Mason mother of 5 dead in Clermont County crash (Model Y crash)

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.

Atari2600

Active Member
Oct 4, 2017
1,086
1,003
Cincinnati

This happened about 3 miles from where I live. They hit a landscaping bolder then two trees and it caught on fire and was rolled over. Since the speed limit is 25 MPH I don't understand how this could have happened. I've had my Model 3 for over three years and have been trying to talk my wife into getting a Model Y so people doing unsafe acts doesn't help. My wife told me about the crash.
Also, the Fox News version of this story went on to talk about how electric car fires require 40 times more water than "a mainstream gas-powered car"
So I guess Fox is against electric cars.
 
Well hopefully fireball deaths do not happen everywhere.

Edit: Plus someone can help explain to my wife that this is not normal.
Was the death a result of the fire? Or from the impact?

Electric cars actually catch on fire less often than gas car, do some google and you'll find very valid sources, including Tesla themselves. However, the EV fires that result in death tend to be involved in very high energy crashes (high speed) so I would argue that the speed is the driving factor. If you crash head on with two cars going 70 mph, the fire is probably least of your worries. If you crash into a tree at 70 mph, again the fire is probably the least of your worries.
 
Was the death a result of the fire? Or from the impact?

Electric cars actually catch on fire less often than gas car, do some google and you'll find very valid sources, including Tesla themselves. However, the EV fires that result in death tend to be involved in very high energy crashes (high speed) so I would argue that the speed is the driving factor. If you crash head on with two cars going 70 mph, the fire is probably least of your worries. If you crash into a tree at 70 mph, again the fire is probably the least of your worries.
Unknown. A fatality on a 25 MPH road is weird to begin with.

I agree with what you are saying I just wish it did not happen around here. I assume the truth will come out.
 
Unknown. A fatality on a 25 MPH road is weird to begin with.

I agree with what you are saying I just wish it did not happen around here. I assume the truth will come out.
Show your wife the safety rating of the Model Y


NHTSA for Tesla Model Y. They are very safe cars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WhiteWi
Show your wife the safety rating of the Model Y


NHTSA for Tesla Model Y. They are very safe cars.
Did you listen to the witness on the 911 call, the recycling guy? It sounded like it was an instant fireball. Personally I assume they were driving 75 or 100 MPH in a 25. If that's what happened then any concerns will be ignored by her, I think.
I did show my wife the safety ratings as soon as they came out.
 
Did you listen to the witness on the 911 call, the recycling guy? It sounded like it was an instant fireball. Personally I assume they were driving 75 or 100 MPH in a 25. If that's what happened then any concerns will be ignored by her, I think.
I did show my wife the safety ratings as soon as they came out.
Since I'm at work I didn't, but I suspect it was very high speed.

I think this would fare much better against another car even at high speeds because of the crumple zones and the battery is "hard" to reach being contained vs a fuel tank that could rupture and spill. Also, there might have been a huge amount of smoke but I'm not sure if it would have been a "fireball" in the sense that the whole vehicle was engulfed right away. I think if a person could escape from a vehicle they would have just as good of a chance from an EV as a gas vehicle. If a person is incapacitated in a crash they probably have the same chance of getting out before a fire as they would in a gas car.

There's no denying that EV fires are harder to put out and can spark back up, but I think during the initial few minutes after a crash, the outcomes between gas and EVs are probably about the same.
 
Unknown. A fatality on a 25 MPH road is weird to begin with.

I agree with what you are saying I just wish it did not happen around here. I assume the truth will come out.
My guess is there was some kind of medical emergency. Possibly fell unconscious with the accelerator floored.

Seems very unusual for someone in a 25 mph zone to consciously drive so dangerous as to cause the accident.
 
Did you listen to the witness on the 911 call, the recycling guy? It sounded like it was an instant fireball. Personally I assume they were driving 75 or 100 MPH in a 25. If that's what happened then any concerns will be ignored by her, I think.
I did show my wife the safety ratings as soon as they came out.
Yea, this. The vehicle had to have been flying to hit a landscape boulder then go over that and hit two trees leveling them in the process. The amount of speed and force needed to achieve carnage like that had to have been very high. The black box will tell all eventually.
 
A typical EV fire after an accident is a slow flare in the ruptured battery, which slowly grows. People have time to exit if they are able. I have never heard of an "explosive" EV fire, though I suppose it's possible with the right damage. However, an EV fire is hard to put out and undoubtedly takes way more water than a gas fire. There might not be much left of the car after that.
 
Was the death a result of the fire? Or from the impact?

Electric cars actually catch on fire less often than gas car, do some google and you'll find very valid sources, including Tesla themselves. However, the EV fires that result in death tend to be involved in very high energy crashes (high speed) so I would argue that the speed is the driving factor. If you crash head on with two cars going 70 mph, the fire is probably least of your worries. If you crash into a tree at 70 mph, again the fire is probably the least of your worries.
Although in the event of battery pack puncture it's instantaneous combustion right? While I agree they are less likely to catch fire - in the same set of events that cause puncture of battery pack would that similar event result in a scenario (fire) that leads to MORE likely death? Because presumably in an ICE car there wouldn't be that spontaneous explosion (unless the gas tank was compromised - which is less likely than a battery pack due to how much bigger area it covers?). Just a thought
 
A bit nervous now, waiting for my Wife's Y EDD around March we will be moving to Socal and replacing her 2005 RX330 Lexus to the MYLR.
I would not be nervous. The two main points of the thread were 1) my wife 2) did not care for the Fox News comments on the problems of not having a "mainstream gas-powered car" I still would rather she replace her Infiniti G37x with a Model Y instead of a Toyota or an Infiniti SUV. Luckily the G37x has never been in the shop for anything other than an oil change.

As others have said was probably fell asleep or medical emergency and floored it. It hit a landscaping rock and two trees and it looked like it was a very high speed hit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WhiteWi
This remind me the following accident:

Affluent Florida parents of 18-year-old who died when his friend's Tesla crashed at 116mph in a 25mph area
and burst into flames are suing electric car firm claiming Model S battery caused the fire


Here are some batteries testing for nail puncture, I imagine that the Tesla batteries must use the top of the art fire prevention:


 
Although in the event of battery pack puncture it's instantaneous combustion right? While I agree they are less likely to catch fire - in the same set of events that cause puncture of battery pack would that similar event result in a scenario (fire) that leads to MORE likely death? Because presumably in an ICE car there wouldn't be that spontaneous explosion (unless the gas tank was compromised - which is less likely than a battery pack due to how much bigger area it covers?). Just a thought
Yes, kinda.

Look at 1 min 40 sec

It’s a violent instant combustion, but it’s also like a jet, usually from where it’s punctured. One would assume that would be the bottom of your car so you would have a jet of flame spewing away from the car. The amount of energy and heat would cause the vehicle to catch fire and likely the rest of the pack then to undergo a thermal runaway, but I’ve got to believe you would have tens of seconds to maybe even a minute before the cabin of the vehicle was burning. From the outside I’m sure it would look like the whole vehicle was engulfed in flames, but I think as long as you weren’t incapacitated you could escape, possibly with pretty bad burns but not burned to death.

If you have a fuel tank compromised you’ll have gallons of fuel spilled and coating everything. It may not be violent but if that gets in the cabin it’s going to burn.

Fire is bad news anytime for sure, but in all but the most extreme accidents I don’t think fire is more of a risk in an EV compared to a gas car.

Again, likely you’ll be dead on impact from the forces involved before you burn.