
Tesla Model X Driver Dies in Mountain View Crash - blackguardx
https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/24/tesla-model-x-driver-dies-in-mountain-view-crash/
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11thEarlOfMar
It's going to be important and relevant to learn whether autopilot was
engaged.

I know that location pretty well. There are side-by-side HOV lanes. The left
lane enters an up & over bridge to head south on Hwy 85. The right continues
south on 101. It seems likely that this driver was traveling at high speed,
either realized they were in the wrong lane, or were not paying attention and
drifted into the collapsible barrier[0]. They'd have struck the median barrier
from the end. It's about a foot wide concrete. One factor in this type of
accident is that the X is much heavier than the typical auto (5,500 lbs for
Model X vs. 3,500 for a Camry for example) and at high speed would have
collapsed the safety barrier with much more force than it was designed to
absorb, thus destroying the front end of the vehicle.

I'm speculating, but from the video, that appears to be what happened.

[0] [https://goo.gl/maps/NqpxHaLsopQ2](https://goo.gl/maps/NqpxHaLsopQ2)

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praneshp
The area you described is fucking scary. It's a carpool lane, sure, but
several drivers like to use it to get a little bit ahead and go back to non-
carpool lanes, and sometimes they don't pay attention. It's also common for
drivers to realize only one lane goes to 85 and jump in at the last moment,
including driving over the triangular section just before the barrier.

Also scary is entering 85 (either direction) from El Camino near Bernardo.

Very sorry for the driver and their family :(

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DrScump

      Also scary is entering 85 (either direction) from El Camino near Bernardo
    

I don't understand this. Entering northbound 85 is just an average single-lane
ramp -- are you concerned about competing with what little traffic is exiting
85 to Evelyn?

And taking 85 southbound is just a basic cloverleaf ramp to the right -- are
you concerned with merging traffic from the 85 northbound offramp?

Neither of those particular use cases would be a problem but for the numerous
transplants who _can 't freaking merge_.

The _other_ direction's onramp to 85 southbound became a messy hairpin a year
or two ago after the construction.

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praneshp
> Neither of those particular use cases would be a problem but for the
> numerous transplants who can't freaking merge.

Either you are blabbering, or I didn't communicate which merge I am referring
to very well. Being unable to merge in 3 car lengths is not a transplant
problem.

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anorphirith
why is this even news?! Teslas have a very strong firewall. if flames were
coming out it most likely wasn't directed to the passenger compartiment.
anyway all cars fail. people shouldn't expect teslas to be absolutely
perfect...

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burger_moon
The front of the car was ripped off and you can see in the video, fires right
where the driver and passengers feet would be.

[https://twitter.com/NBCian/status/977406284260495360/video/1](https://twitter.com/NBCian/status/977406284260495360/video/1)

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gonesilent
Can see a volt meter on the side of the road in on of the links pics. Wonder
if the first responder use that or was it this employee Tesla sent. Do you
find a ground and check a metal part?

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kwhitefoot
> Fires are common in crashes regardless of the power plant.

Can anyone cite statistics supporting this statement?

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thebruce87m
Yes, especially statistics that include diesel vehicles.

