Tesla says it will assist police probe into fatal crash in China
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The crash, which involved a Tesla Model Y, killed a motorcyclist and a high school girl in Chaozhou city, Guangdong province, on Nov 5.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING – American carmaker Tesla has said that it will assist the Chinese police investigating a crash involving one of its Model Y cars after local media reports said two people had died and three were injured when the driver lost control of the vehicle.
The incident on Nov 5 in the southern province of Guangdong killed a motorcyclist and a high school girl, Jimu News reported, posting a video of a car driving at high speed and crashing into other vehicles and a cyclist.
“Police are currently seeking a third-party appraisal agency to identify the truth behind this accident and we will actively provide any necessary assistance,” Mr Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker said in a message on Sunday, cautioning against believing rumours.
China is Tesla’s second-largest market. The crash was among the top trending topics on the Weibo social media platform on Sunday.
Jimu News quoted the traffic police as saying the cause of the incident in Chaozhou city had not been identified, and an unnamed family member of the driver who said the 55-year-old had issues with the brake pedal when he was about to pull over in front of his family store.
Tesla said videos showed that the car’s brake lights were not on when the car was speeding and that its data showed issues such as there being no action to step on the brakes throughout the vehicle’s journey.
Calls to the police in Raoping, the county where the accident happened, went unanswered on Sunday.
Tesla has faced claims of brake failure in China before.
The company’s statement said a Chinese car owner had been ordered by a court to publicly apologise and compensate the firm after it ruled that comments he had made to the media about issues with his brakes were inconsistent with the facts and had harmed Tesla’s reputation. Reuters could not immediately verify Tesla’s assertion.
Last year, an unhappy customer caused a social media stir by clambering atop a Tesla at the Shanghai motor show
