Tesla head on collision with a Honda

[highfalutintodd]

Never been to this site before, but it seems like it allows user comments on the photo? The following is a comment posted on this link when hovering over the Model S:

source: http://jalopnik.com/tesla-model-s-driver-veers-into-oncoming-traffic-kills-466292380

Keeping it classy there, Jalopnik. :-(

And I'll add my prayers for the families of those involved in this.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Based on the alloy wheels of the Honda, I believe it was a 4th Generation Accord (1990-1993). Depending on what specific model year it belongs to, it may not even have had front airbags. I don't even think this car could provide adequate protection against a collision with a modern Honda Civic, let alone a Model S.

A terrible tragedy, and a sober reminder that all drivers must be familiar with their cars and mindful of the road.

 

[JRP3]

seems like a bit of a harsh web site.

Par for the course, they've always been fairly anti Tesla.

 

[brianman]

I couldn't access that link without an account, but I was able to view the video from the front page (The Orange County Register : The Orange County Register). The video has some closer shots of the Model S, but only from the back, so the damage is not visible.

21" silver wheels. Not sure if it has a spoiler or not.

- - - Updated - - -

Based on the alloy wheels of the Honda, I believe it was a 4th Generation Accord (1990-1993).

In case 1993 was a good guess, others might find this interesting so I figure it's worth sharing:
http://www.autobuyguide.com/1993/12-aut/honda/accord/crash-tests/index.html


Additional note:
The charge port door is open.

 

[v12 to 12v]

Let's wait for the facts to come out before jumping to conclusion. Yes, the Model S driver could have been distracted with the touchscreen. But there are dozen other possibilities ranging from mechanical failure to medical emergency to phone distraction to physical impairment to initial misreporting. Let's wait for more info before condemning any one thing.

We may never know what really happened. I had a family member involved in a serious accident like this and the press never did get the facts correct. Not even close.
I found it disturbing every time I read an article or heard anything on the news.

My heart goes out to all. It is tough.

 

[vfx]

There's probably 500 to 1000 Model S in Orange County. Tesla will surely want this car for analyses.

Thoughts are with the two killed in the Honda.

 

[Doug_G]

We may never know what really happened. I had a family member involved in a serious accident like this and the press never did get the facts correct. Not even close.
I found it disturbing every time I read an article or heard anything on the news.

If you've ever been directly involved in something that ends up in the news, you'll always be astonished just how much they get wrong, and how little they care. All they care about is making their deadline.

 

[bonnie]

Years ago I was hit by a car - the driver was confused about which side of the freeway was his. When it ended, his front bumper was on top of my steering wheel. Jaws of life, all that. But the newspaper just used the pic of my mangled car to illustrate the 'snowy roads of Boulder'.

It had nothing to do with road conditions & everything to do with driver error.

(fyi - after that, I never look at the people in an accident as I drive by. I remember every single person staring at me, trapped in the car, while the first responders got me out. Privacy, people!!)

 

[shokunin]

This S was a december delivery. My license plate is about 55 numbers ahead of his/her of the 6WZUxxx batch of plates, has the orange 2013 tags (versus blue 2014). The OCR video zooms in and there's no spoiler.

 

[NuclearPowered]

Based on the alloy wheels of the Honda, I believe it was a 4th Generation Accord (1990-1993). Depending on what specific model year it belongs to, it may not even have had front airbags. I don't even think this car could provide adequate protection against a collision with a modern Honda Civic, let alone a Model S.

A terrible tragedy, and a sober reminder that all drivers must be familiar with their cars and mindful of the road.

My Accord tuner buddy had this to say "That 92/93 Accord didn't fare too well in the frontal offset." "that wheel choice only came on 9293 Accord EXs"

So, 92/93 Accords.

That old car would have gotten decimated by anything new, not just MS. As well, in any newer high end car they likely would have survived.

 

[vetboy45]

I'm not exactly sure why but this crash really bothers me. I guess I kind of see owners as an exclusive club. I really hope the driver wasn't doing something stupid.

 

[Grendal]

I'm not exactly sure why but this crash really bothers me. I guess I kind of see owners as an exclusive club. I really hope the driver wasn't doing something stupid.

He must have, since he veered into oncoming traffic. It's sad to say but there are idiots everywhere. Though I guarantee he wasn't a TMC member, we're all perfect and make no mistakes.

 

[Mr X]

I really hope the driver wasn't doing something stupid.

obviously was if he veered over into the other lane, i dont see how you could do that if you're paying attention unless he "tried to pass by"

 

[Francis Lau]

This is sobering news and thread. My heart goes out to all 3 involved; especially the 2 deceased. This really reminds me that even though it is so much fun to speed in the Tesla MS, I need to be more careful.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Very sad indeed. Touchscreen distraction or not, I hope that excessive speed was not involved.

I think of the lines from Spider-Man whenever I drive the Model S: "With great power comes great responsibility".

 

[Yggdrasill]

I had a coworker who drove right off the road at a bend. The cause was that he kept his garage door opener on the sun visor. As he was adjusting the sun visor, the garage door opener fell to the floor, and he stupidly reached for it. Thus he ended up driving right into a lamp post and ending up on the news. (He recovered after a couple of weeks.)

An accident can happen in an instant, for a myriad of reasons, so there's little use speculating. Instead we should wait for more info.

Anyway, my thoughts go out to those involved.

 

[vetboy45]

obviously was if he veered over into the other lane, i dont see how you could do that if you're paying attention unless he "tried to pass by"

Not if he had a heart attack etc. Not that i'm hoping he had a heart attack.

 

[MikeK]

The driver may well have done something stupid. Or s/he may not have. Others have already pointed out that there are a number of possible explanations including medical incapacitation or outside interference, for example.

In my opinion, it's inappropriate to make absolute statements regarding what he or she "must" have done or what "obviously" happened, in the absence of anything other than incomplete news reporting and speculation.

Hopefully we will eventually find out enough about the accident to learn something from it.

 

[Adm]

The following link includes video with mention of a third car that could be involved:

http://ktla.com/2013/04/02/two-dead-in-head-on-collision-in-laguna-beach-2/#axzz2PNZXIDYhhttp://ktla.com/2013/04/02/two-dead-in-head-on-collision-in-laguna-beach-2/#axzz2PNZXIDYh

 

[MikeK]

The following link includes video with mention of a third car that could be involved:

http://ktla.com/2013/04/02/two-dead-in-head-on-collision-in-laguna-beach-2/#axzz2PNZXIDYhhttp://ktla.com/2013/04/02/two-dead-in-head-on-collision-in-laguna-beach-2/#axzz2PNZXIDYh

In fact at the end the police officer says that they were told by the Tesla's driver that the third car forced him into oncoming traffic.