Model S saved my life

[Super_Popular]

Thursday evening my friend and I were driving home from Berkeley, CA to the Oakland hills on grizzly peak blvd. Driving perhaps a tad too spirited, a deer appeared at a curve at the worst possible moment. I instinctively (mistakenly) swerved to avoid it and my car ended up over the edge. We tumbled perhaps 150-200 feet down a steep slope, ended up upside down. While it was certainly the most terrifying seconds of my life, as we came to a rest I realized we were both totally ok. The cabin of the vehicle was totally in tact. We climbed out with only bruises and muscle soreness.

I don't know how to compare this with other cars but it felt rock solid to me and I feel lucky to be alive because of my tesla. Once I get insurance worked out I'm sure I'll be in another one. Maybe I'll be driving those mountain roads at night a bit more cautiously :-/

wow I had a little fender bender in a car wash last weekend and I thought that was terrifying

 

[AudubonB]

Thursday evening my friend and I were driving home from Berkeley, CA to the Oakland hills on grizzly peak blvd. Driving perhaps a tad too spirited, a deer appeared at a curve at the worst possible moment. I instinctively (mistakenly) swerved to avoid it and my car ended up over the edge. We tumbled perhaps 150-200 feet down a steep slope, ended up upside down. While it was certainly the most terrifying seconds of my life, as we came to a rest I realized we were both totally ok. The cabin of the vehicle was totally in tact. We climbed out with only bruises and muscle soreness.

I don't know how to compare this with other cars but it felt rock solid to me and I feel lucky to be alive because of my tesla. Once I get insurance worked out I'm sure I'll be in another one. Maybe I'll be driving those mountain roads at night a bit more cautiously :-/

Judging from the evidence proffered above, I'm going to suggest this was the cervine culprit. Did anyone breathalyse him?

Glad you and your friend are around to relate the story. Absolutely terrifying.

 

[spentan]

Great to hear that you're ok.

Please post pics of vehicle if you get them.

 

[boaterva]

Yeah I'm sad about losing that color. Been browsing cpo and inventory and don't see any out there now. I think I'll go with blue. Not sure on 60/75/90/100d at this point. May reevaluate what I need now that I have had a year with one. Don't feel like I need the speed anymore. I'm a bit price sensitive and not seeing any deals like my 90d last year. And 75d at 259 miles is very close to the 286 I had pre refresh 90d... but 335mi with 100d sounds amazing too. I think i have to see if I get a generous actual cash valuation from progressive.

I also had a reus audio system installed but didn't bother to get it covered

As far as hanging upside down.....I barely remember....it was very disorienting. I think my brain has erased some specifics

Yeah, short term memory tends to not be 'saved' when you get a shock like that, for better or worse.... been through that a time or two myself! Definitely recommend the blue and 100D. . (What I'm looking at or equivalent in a 3.)

 

[ThisIsTrue]

The car is still there. ... Here is the precise location if anyone wants to check it out.

Oh, great! There goes your stereo!

 

[whttiger25]

Oh, great! There goes your stereo!

Car is upside down on a 35 degree muddy slope. Good luck!

 

[MP3Mike]

Where do you live and what model was it? Maybe I can buy it from auction.

@Btr_ftw Rather than try to buy it at auction you could work out a deal with @whttiger25 for him to keep the car and pay Progressive the salvage value. (I would think that would be cheaper unless insurance companies have started valuing totaled Tesla higher than they normally value total loss cars.)

You could sweeten the deal for him by offering to pull the Reus audio system for him...

 

[HankLloydRight]

Darn.. not a CF interior.

 

[ABVA]

Thursday evening my friend and I were driving home from Berkeley, CA to the Oakland hills on grizzly peak blvd. Driving perhaps a tad too spirited, a deer appeared at a curve at the worst possible moment. I instinctively (mistakenly) swerved to avoid it and my car ended up over the edge. We tumbled perhaps 150-200 feet down a steep slope, ended up upside down. While it was certainly the most terrifying seconds of my life, as we came to a rest I realized we were both totally ok. The cabin of the vehicle was totally in tact. We climbed out with only bruises and muscle soreness.

I don't know how to compare this with other cars but it felt rock solid to me and I feel lucky to be alive because of my tesla. Once I get insurance worked out I'm sure I'll be in another one. Maybe I'll be driving those mountain roads at night a bit more cautiously :-/

Thank god that you and your friend walked away with only bruises and muscle soreness.
Please look at NHTSA ratings for TESLA Model S.

 

[CatB]

So glad you are both okay. My condolences for your car, of course, but it did its job well.

 

[xyeahtony]

Glad ya'll survived. I do recall the goal of Tesla was to build one of the safest vehicles on the road and im glad they've succeeded. Same accident in a car 20 years ago and you'd be a lot more injured.

 

[whttiger25]

Hiked down there in the rain to check it out. Wow. First one looks down at the car from Grizzly Peak trail. Second looks up at the road. Rest are self explanatory. Also - note that someone must have explored the scene and found my backpack, and placed it on top of the car for me to find It had been stored in the frunk. Thank you. You can also see how we ended up crawling out of the sunroof.

 

[NikeWings]

Hiked down there in the rain to check it out. Wow. First one looks down at the car from Grizzly Peak trail. Second looks up at the road. Rest are self explanatory. Also - note that someone must have explored the scene and found my backpack, and placed it on top of the car for me to find It had been stored in the frunk. Thank you. You can also see how we ended up crawling out of the sunroof.

WOW all that brush may have helped you - has tesla contacted you at all?

 

[whttiger25]

WOW all that brush may have helped you - has tesla contacted you at all?

They sent me an email asking if I needed assistance. Then the next day the service center emailed me saying if it was drivable take it to the dublin service center, if not have it towed to chilton auto body or the other one (forgot name). That's about it.

Progressive I don't think quite understands what it will take to retrieve this vehicle despite my in depth descriptions. I called them today and they said "yeah I think we'll be able to send a tow truck tomorrow". I stressed that this will be an "operation".

 

[jmanning]

Wow, what an experience. Love to see the look on the faces of the people walking on a trail nearby and see that.....Don't you wish you have AP on, if you have it, to see what would have happened....really glad you are o.k. yet another example of what makes me sleep better at night knowing we drive the safest vehicle on the road !!

 

[NikeWings]

Progressive I don't think quite understands what it will take to retrieve this vehicle despite my in depth descriptions. I called them today and they said "yeah I think we'll be able to send a tow truck tomorrow". I stressed that this will be an "operation".

Oh I wouldn't miss that moment to see the looks on their faces........when they arrive and there is no car pulled neatly off to the side.

 

[P85DBeast]

Glad you and your friend made it out alive!! That looks terrible!

 

[ggnykk]

Thursday evening my friend and I were driving home from Berkeley, CA to the Oakland hills on grizzly peak blvd. Driving perhaps a tad too spirited, a deer appeared at a curve at the worst possible moment. I instinctively (mistakenly) swerved to avoid it and my car ended up over the edge. We tumbled perhaps 150-200 feet down a steep slope, ended up upside down. While it was certainly the most terrifying seconds of my life, as we came to a rest I realized we were both totally ok. The cabin of the vehicle was totally in tact. We climbed out with only bruises and muscle soreness.

I don't know how to compare this with other cars but it felt rock solid to me and I feel lucky to be alive because of my tesla. Once I get insurance worked out I'm sure I'll be in another one. Maybe I'll be driving those mountain roads at night a bit more cautiously :-/

Glad that you are okay. But I am curious to know as to why you would choose your car going off a huge cliff versus just hitting the deer? I understand that it was a split second decision in a very scary situation, I don't know if I would be fast enough to react in those situation and tell myself that "be smart, stay on the road and hit the deer, instead of going off the cliff".

 

[whttiger25]

Glad that you are okay. But I am curious to know as to why you would choose your car going off a huge cliff versus just hitting the deer? I understand that it was a split second decision in a very scary situation, I don't know if I would be fast enough to react in those situation and tell myself that "be smart, stay on the road and hit the deer, instead of going off the cliff".

I don't think I was aware of the cliff, nor was it a choice as much of a reaction, combined with going too fast. I certainly am not blaming the deer. I take full responsibility and have learned many valuable lessons from this.

My sole point in this thread is not to abdicate responsibility, but merely highlight how well the Model S performed in a dreadfully scary situation.

 

[whttiger25]

Glad that you are okay. But I am curious to know as to why you would choose your car going off a huge cliff versus just hitting the deer? I understand that it was a split second decision in a very scary situation, I don't know if I would be fast enough to react in those situation and tell myself that "be smart, stay on the road and hit the deer, instead of going off the cliff".

I'm 34 years old, and my parents have told me I am now middle aged, because I now fully understand life will end. I agree.