Images via WFLA
We’ve known quite a few people who are used to driving rather low-powered, boring gas cars who upon getting a Tesla or other EV become speed demons. Having all that torque from a standstill proves to be too much of a temptation for these people, which might explain how one Tesla driver in St. Petersburg, Florida ended up going from driving down the interstate to swimming in the Gulf of Mexico in the blink of an eye.
A California police department has switched its entire fleet to all Teslas.
The accident happened on the afternoon of July 24 after witnesses say they saw the Tesla sedan speeding down I-275 near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, reports WFLA. When the driver lost control of the EV, is strafed off the interstate, hit a drainage pond, then flipped into the mangroves along the coastline.
But the 25-year-old man behind the wheel of the Tesla apparently wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. He was thrown from the electric car, landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately for him, a boat was passing by and the people onboard fished him out of the water.
Having suffered serious injuries from the crash, the Tesla driver was probably in no shape to swim to shore. Instead, the boat took him to a ramp and he was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Driving a powerful, fast car can be fun, but it’s also dangerous if you don’t exercise caution. You can’t just put the pedal to the metal constantly and think road conditions, the tires, even your driving skill can handle the speed.
In this case the driver was lucky he landed in the water and not in the middle of the busy interstate. Not only would he have met hard pavement, he could’ve been run over by another vehicle. Slow down, drive vigilantly, and put on your seatbelt.
Images via WFLA
