If there’s one thing Tesla values more than raw acceleration, it’s safety. As a prime example, the Model S back in 2013 was the first vehicle to ever enjoy a 5-star safety rating across every single safety category when tested by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Since then, we’ve seen no shortage of stories involving harrowing Tesla crashes where passengers miraculously survive, and in some instances, even walk out with nothing more than a few scratches and bruises.
The most recent example occurred earlier this month in California when a Model X was involved in a hit and run accident. In a detailed post that originally appeared on Instagram, John Tran details how a car involved in a police chase rammed into his Model X while going at least 65 MPH. Adding a layer of drama to the tale, the accident went down as Tran was leaving his own rehearsal dinner as he was set to get married the following day.
The Instagram post reads in part:
On 5/5 the night before my wedding to my amazing wife @nancy_deee . I was involved in a hit and run accident. I was leaving our family rehearsal dinner at a local mall in San Jose. I rented a #teslamodelx for as our wedding vehicle. Nancy and I had separate cars because we were parting ways from there…
We heard and saw sirens from the mall security but really didn’t think was up, it stopped and it was quiet. As I was pulling out of the parking stall and onto the mall loop street, I began to make my left turn to get on to the road. Just as I’m completing my turn a stolen silver car that was running away from police and helicopters going at least 65mph, plows directly into my driver side door and immediately send me 20-30 ft away from my original spot. All airbags deploy and I’m seeing nothing but smoke in the cabin. At this point, I try to open the door by hand, but it’s stuck, and my right hand is swollen like a pillow. I try again by kicking my way out and am able to free myself. I get out and I see the drivers book it, and quickly followed by cops.
Soon after an amazing mother and daughter who saw the whole thing happen came to help me and woke me up. Randomly friends who just happened to be in the lot saw me laying on the ground and assisted me up from my daze. Eventually they catch 1 of the 2 runners and I’m left with a busted wedding car sore hand, ankle, and ego. I thought to myself, why this night. The night before my very own wedding, and how am I alive right now. I get driven to the ER and was quickly seen by the nurses and checked out to be ultimately, unharmed.
Tran goes on to thank Elon Musk for “building an amazing life saving machine” while noting that emergency personnel told him that he was lucky to even be alive after being involved in such a serious crash involving a car going as fast as it was.
A photo from the scene of the accident illustrates the severity of the crash.
