A Tesla car fell off a cliff while traveling along the road Pacific Coast Highway on Monday near an area known for deadly falls. Two adults and two children were inside the Tesla, which plunged more than 250 feet from a California highway onto a ledge just a few feet from the shore, according to the report. Related PresS. All four rescued passengers were alive at the scene of the crash, but were listed in critical condition on Monday.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Monday, January 2 at 01:00 p.m. EST. It has been updated with is believed to be the cause of the accident according to the police, who thought it was intentional.
After the Tesla crashed over the cliff, witnesses called 911 at around 10:15 a.m. local time. First responders and emergency officials are familiar with Devil’s Slide, a stretch between Pacifica and Montara described as “a steep, rocky, and winding coastal area” south of San Francisco by AP.
Accidents here rarely see survivors, so rescuers were surprised to find “a 4-year-old girl, 9-year-old girl and two adults” in the car survived the fall that damaged the Tesla. so badly damaged that the door got stuck. During the hour-long rescue operation in heavy rain and wind — just a few feet from the crashing waves — firefighters cut the passengers out of the vehicle with their “living jaws.”
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The California Highway Patrol and San Mateo County Sheriff worked with the California Firefighter’s Santa Cruz units, as well as the US Coast Guard to rescue the passengers. Multiple helicopters from different agencies have arrived at the scene. A Cal Fire battalion commander, Brian Pottenger, speak of the accident:
We go there all the time for cars to go over the cliff and they never live. This is an absolute miracle […] Each of us was shocked to see the movement from the front windshield […] They are more scared than hurt.
The children were hauled up and out of the collision by hand in a rescue basket, while two adults had to be lifted by helicopter. Boys and girls have musculoskeletal injuries, adults have unexplained injuries. The children were taken to the hospital by ambulance; adults are transported by plane.
Initially, the cause of the crash was not known, but police believe that the Tesla driver may have intentionally jumped over the cliff. CHP announced that Dr. Dharmesh A. Patel will be detained for attempted murder and child abuse upon his discharge from the hospital.
The new findings show that the car has not used any ADAS — referred to as Autopilot or “Full Autopilot” in Teslas. Road conditions were report Nor was it the cause of the crash, although there was no guardrail where the Tesla sedan fell off the cliff. The CHP did not cite evidence as to whether the collision was intentional, nor do they have a possible motive as to why Dr. Patel drove away from the Devil’s Slide.
