Crash comes amid federal probe into Tesla vehicles rear-ending emergency vehicles.
Newport Beach Fire Department- A Tesla Model S crashed into back of city bus in Newport Beach, California, on the morning of December 11, causing multiple injuries.
- Authorities have not indicated the cause of the crash, or whether Tesla’s Autopilot advanced driver-assist system is suspected or confirmed to have been in use at the time.
- Crash follows a series of seemingly similar accidents, several currently under an NHTSA probe, in which Tesla vehicles have hit emergency vehicles on highways with little or no braking attempted by drivers or AEB systems.
Over the weekend a severe crash took place in Newport Beach, California, involving a Tesla Model S and a passenger bus. The Model S is suspected to have crashed into the back of a bus that may have been stationary at the time in a traffic lane.
“This morning at approximately 7:25, 9 NBFD units responded to a Declared MCI on East Coast Highway and Cameo Shores,” the Newport Beach Fire Department said in a statement posted on social media.
The fire department indicated that a total of 19 firefighters responded to the crash site, with the first passenger being transported off the scene in under four minutes. The Newport Beach Fire Department described the crash as a multi-casualty incident, indicating there were several injuries among those involved.
Photos posted by the department on social media show extensive damage to the front of the Model S, whose front section appears to have been pushed by the force of the impact close to the leading edge of the windshield, while everything below the bumper line appears to have slid under the back of the bus. Damage to the bus appeared surprisingly minor in photos.
The crash had compacted the upper front portion of the sedan, almost up to the leading edge of the windshield.
Newport Beach Fire Department
The Newport Beach fire or police departments not commented on whether the driver of the Tesla may have been using the Autopilot driver-assist system in the time prior to the impact, or other suspected causes of the crash. Authorities have also not indicated whether the driver of the Tesla attempted to brake in the seconds prior to the collision, or whether any persons who may have been aboard the bus were injured. Doors of the sedan did not appear to jam as a result of the impact, with several if not all airbags having deployed as designed.
If Autopilot was not in use, however, the EV’s automatic emergency braking system should have, in most circumstances, responded to the approaching solid object in its path.
“I came upon this heading South on PCH around 7:30AM and it must have been 1 minute after it happened,” wrote one user who posted a photo of the crash site and called 911 upon finding the crash site. “Bus was stopped in the Center lane and Tesla was demolished with no skid marks (Tesla rear ended bus). No responders on scene yet and Tesla doors were closed.”
First responders have not indicated whether the bus was stationary or in motion at the time.
One witness of the crash site reported not seeing any tire skid marks from braking leading up to the crash location.
Newport Beach Fire Department
The automaker is currently under investigation by the NHTSA for a string of crashes into the backs of first responder vehicles, including fire trucks and police cars, that occurred while emergency vehicles were stopped in traffic lanes responding to various events. In a number of these incidents Autopilot use by the driver has been confirmed in the moments prior to the crash, raising questions about the system’s inability to detect large solid objects in its path in some circumstances using cameras and radar.
“Visibility was tricky as the bright sunshine was in full force heading South bound,” one of the first witnesses on the scene wrote on social media.
The Newport Beach Fire Department also cautioned other drivers in a social media post regarding this particular crash.
“When driving in the early morning or late afternoon please take into account the sun glare, slow down and leave more space,” the fire department wrote.
NHTSA has not indicated at this time whether it will investigate this particular crash.
Keyword: Tesla Crashes into Back of Bus in California