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Dashcam footage of Model S collision with BMW M5

Vernon H:(In a previous iteration of my career, I was a Navy Flight Surgeon
assigned to a Marine Corps F/A-18 squadron where my training and duties
included aircraft mishap investigation. When I examine the aftermath of
my incident, I am convinced that fortuitous timing and the solid
construction of my Tesla Model S saved our lives, the lives of another
couple and prevented four young children from being orphaned. )from Liveleak:

Story follows:

I wanted to write and share what I experienced when my Tesla Model S
was involved in a major traffic collision. I had been driving my 60kwh
Model S for about three months. I was thrilled with my purchase, having
done a family road trip from the San Francisco Bay area to Southern
California and Las Vegas over spring break. We never experienced any
range anxiety, paid a grand total of three dollars for charging the
entire trip and astounded bellmen and valets everywhere we went when the
five of us would exit the car and unload seemingly endless amounts of
luggage.

Needless to say, I was devastated when we were involved in a major
collision. My wife and I, as well as another couple, were going home on a
Friday night – my wife’s birthday. We were crossing a four way blind
intersection in a quiet, unlit, residential neighborhood, when without
warning, out of the corner of my eye, I saw headlights approaching at an
extreme rate of speed and heard the loud roar of an engine. I barely
had time to shout an expletive before the other car struck us and my
airbags deployed.

It turns out that a teenage boy driving a BMW M5 at approximately 60
miles per hour completely ignored his stop sign and impacted the front
end of my Model S. Everyone in the car confirmed that they were all
right and exited the car. I called Tesla service at almost midnight and,
to my surprise, someone answered the phone and was able to give me
advice on securing the car for towing.
The police and fire department arrived within minutes and informed me
that the other driver had come to a stop down the road; I had
previously thought it was a hit and run. When I examined the other car, I
saw an unbelievable amount of damage. The BMW had hit me hard enough
that he had flipped and rolled his car at least twice and bounced off a
large tree; he was on his wheels facing the opposite direction of his
initial travel, and the car had experienced an incredible amount of
damage from the impact and rollovers.
My Model S, on the other hand, had damage to the front bumper and
looked pristine rearward of the bumper. When I looked in the bushes, I
saw that the BMW had hit me with enough force to completely snap off a
rear wheel and suspension. Luckily, the driver of the BMW was dazed but
otherwise appeared uninjured.
I am enclosing some pictures of the cars involved in the collision as
well as dashcam footage. When you examine the images taken at the
moment of impact, you can see that the Model S barely moved laterally
when the M5 hit our front end. The occupants experienced a slight
jostling and the only injuries sustained were bruises due to impact from
the lower airbags.

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites. Tesla Model 3, X and Chevy Bolt owner…5 ebikes and counting