An automobile accident involving a Tesla Cybertruck last week is being described as its first of its kind for the vehicle.
One of the new electric vehicles collided with a Toyota Corolla on California’s SR-35 highway near the Silicon Valley community of Palo Alto, according to the automotive website The Autopian.
No serious injuries were reported.
Sounds like the first Cybertruck accident has been seen 😢
Said it was a head on collision in CA
Seen here: https://t.co/v8wVD3FkH9 pic.twitter.com/BJ7PyKvT6q
— Greggertruck (@greggertruck) December 29, 2023
A report from the California Highway Patrol indicated troopers who responded the crash about 2 p.m. Thursday found the driver of the Corolla was at fault.
“Our preliminary investigation indicates a Toyota Corolla was traveling south on SR-35 southbound, south of Page Mill Road, at an unknown speed, when the driver, for unknown reasons, turned to the right and subsequently struck a dirt embankment on the right shoulder,” the report states, according to the tech website The Verge.
“The Toyota then re-entered the roadway, crossed over the double yellow lines into the northbound lane, and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck traveling north on SR-35 northbound.”
Wet weather conditions at the scene of the accident may have played a part in the crash, according to The Verge.
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There was no indication the Cybertruck was on autonomous mode, according to The Verge.
A video from the scene of the crash reveals the Cybertruck seemingly undamaged — and the Corolla appearing basically demolished.
Images posted to social media from the scene show greatly contrasting damages between the Cybertruck and the Corolla.
The driver of the Cybertruck is described as suffering a minor injury and declining medical transportation, according to The Verge.
The driver of the Corolla was a 17-year-old who was uninjured, according to the New York Post, which cited local police.
The Cybertruck bore Texas license plates, while being registered to a local Palo Alto address, the Autopian reported.
That “suggests, but does not confirm, that it may have been a Tesla company vehicle,” the Autopian noted.
A name matching that of a Tesla engineer based in San Francisco was described as the injured party in the incident, according to the Autopian.
A lot of rumors out there about the Cybertruck crash on Twitter, but @rainbowdefault spoke to CHP and confirmed only minor injuries in the incident. https://t.co/BfKsKwk4kW
— MattHardigree (@MattHardigree) December 29, 2023
Critics of the Cybertruck have questioned its safety in road accidents.
According to Reuters, automotive safety experts have pointed to the vehicle’s angular design as likely to make accidents more dangerous to pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.
