Out of Control Tesla Crashes into Orange County Home

A man driving a Tesla  lost control of his car and crashed into the garage of a home in Lake Forest injuring himself and starting a fire that left the structure severely damaged. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the crash occurred the evening of August 25, 2017. The driver, a man in his mid-30s, lost control of the Tesla, which went on a grass embankment, took out a tree and ran into the garage door of the house in the 21200 block of Countryside Drive.

The Register report states that an elderly couple live in the home and the wife was inside getting ready to eat dinner when the car crashed through her home. The husband was outside and went inside after the accident to get his wife out. Both were uninjured. The driver of the Tesla was extricated from the vehicle and transported to a local trauma center. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is handling the crash investigation.

It is indeed fortunate that the couple was not seriously injured. They will be in our thoughts and prayers.

What Caused This Crash?

Based on this news report, it appears that the driver of the Tesla lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the garage of the couple’s home. However, details are scarce with regard to how or why this crash occurred. Was this caused by driver error or due to a problem with the vehicle? There are still a number of unanswered questions here. Was the driver distracted, fatigued, inattentive or impaired at the time of the crash? Did a vehicle defect or mechanical malfunction play a part? Was the Tesla on Autopilot at the time of the crash? We trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what occurred here.

Ongoing Investigation

In such cases, it is important to preserve the vehicle, which is one of the most important pieces of evidence. It needs to be preserved in its current condition so an expert can examine it carefully and thoroughly for evidence of defects, malfunctions and design flaws. An experienced Orange County car accident lawyer can stay on top of the official investigation and help injured victims or those affected better understand their legal options.