In February this year, we heard one of the most chilling stories of a near death experience of a Tesla Model X owner in China. The vehicle caught fire after it crashed on the highway. Several reports noted that the owner and his boyfriend were seated in the second row when the accident took place. The couple tried to get out of the vehicle through the Falcon Wing door. The owner claimed that the doors were not working and almost had them trapped and killed. They successfully managed to get out of the car through the front door.
The accident
Lee Tada, the owner of the Model X involved in the accident, recalled what happened on the fateful day of February.
The account was in a form of open letter, which was published on Cartek's WeChat. Tada said that her driver was driving at the speed of approximately 75 kilometers per hour northbound in Guangzhou highway. The car hit the solid side rails and made a 180-degree turn. Their vehicle was then hit by a Ford Focus car front first. They tried to get out of the car through the Falcon Wing, as mentioned earlier but were unable to open it.
Tada recalled that after they realized that the falcon wing would not budge, they resorted to using the front door. She claimed that they heard the battery cells explode. After a few seconds of being able to get out of the vehicle, the car was covered with flames.
The Model X owner reported that she had a severe cut on her lower lip and a broken nose that entailed a dozen stitches.
The driver, on the other hand, suffered worse trauma with fractures and internal injuries. He was confined in the hospital for 40 days.
Aside from the physical injuries, the accident, according to her, caused serious mental harm, She added that she often suffered from nightmares about getting burned to death inside the Tesla Model X.
These are some of her reasons for demanding a compensation of $1 million (8 million Chinese yuan) from Tesla. The company, however, refused to pay the demand and is currently working with the authorities in conducting investigations for the said accident.
Tesla China
For their part, the company issued a statement about the accident and about the $1 million demand.
According to the company, the lives of the passengers were not threatened during the accident. They further said that they are currently collaborating with the department in charge of the case. According to Tesla China, the accident was due to the high-speed crash as evidenced by the distribution of debris at the side as well as the damage. The company continued to reason that the other car involved in the same accident, which is a fuel-powered vehicle also caught fire. High-speed crashes cause fire and this is not only applicable to electric vehicles but also in fuel-run cars.
