Stolen Tesla Model S In Horrible Accident, Tesla To Study Aftermath

Here’s the setup: Someone stole a Tesla Model S in L.A. and went for a joyride that turned into a police chase and resulted in a horrific multi-car crash. The Model S itself ended up ripping in two, with the front part of the car and the rear completely separated. It looks as if the rear of the vehicle embedded into the side of a building.

Worse, the smashed car burst into flames, apparently due to the battery being compromised. Tesla’s battery catching fire after a trauma has been a problem before, and the company re-engineered the housing this spring to better protect the battery in the event of crashes.


Granted, this particular crash was a true anomaly; there’s a huge difference between a high-speed police chase collision and getting rear-ended in a parking lot. Still, Tesla is reportedly working with L.A. police and fire departments to investigate the accident.


Tesla is using this as an opportunity to examine the effects of a crash on its vehicles. “There aren’t so many S’s involved in major crashes, and certainly not quite like this one, so we absolutely want to have a look to understand what happened,” Tesla spokesman Simon Sproule told The Rakyat Post.