The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had a lot to say about a 2018 Tesla crash, but not what those claimed it said. In 2018, a Tesla Model S P85D ran off the road and crashed. The driver was an 18 year old and his passengers were the same age. There were two fatalities in this crash, and the National Transportation Safety Board has finally concluded its investigation into the matter. So, what did the NTSB say?
Well, according to some mainstream journalists, they think the report said that the death of the kids was because of the battery fire and not the impact of the crash. However, the NTSB, whose site is used as “proof” of these claims, says something completely different, which makes these previous statements entirely false.
NTSB rules that the kids who died in a speeding Tesla back in 2018 died because of the battery fire, not the impact of the crash. This is huge for the lawsuit on victim’s family files because this is what they’ve been arguing from jump. $TSLA https://t.co/D1q2todeVm
— Linette Lopez (@lopezlinette) December 19, 2019
According to the NTSB document that was included in the above tweet, the NTSB determined that the probable cause was the driver’s loss of control as a result of excessive speed. However, the post-crash fire that was caused by the damage to the battery contributed as well. This doesn’t mean that the battery fire caused the crash or the loss of life.
This is an incredibly sad situation and is being used by those who support Tesla short sellers to distort and bring the stock price down so that shorts can make money. No one’s tragedy should be used in this way.
In her tweet, a Business Insider reporter said that, “The NTSB rules that the kids who died in a speeding Tesla back in 2018 died because of the battery fire, not the impact of the crash.” She worded this meticulously to make it look like Tesla was at fault, when in fact the NTSB said the accident was caused by the driver’s loss of control. This is the very definition of “distort” when it comes to shorting and distorting.
How many people die each year from car crashes that also result in fires?
Other Details in the NTSB Report
The NTSB also says that the driver received a traffic citation for driving 112 mph in an area with a 50-mph speed limit. After receiving the citation, his father forbade him from driving and contacted Tesla to see if speed restrictions could be placed on the car. Employees at a Tesla dealership were able to place the vehicle on “loaner mode,” which restricts the vehicle’s maximum speed to 85 mph.
Once this was done, the driver’s father allowed him to drive again. However, the driver took the Tesla back to the service center, where the employees returned the car to normal operating mode at the request of the driver. So, as we can see, Tesla is really not at fault here. To be honest, this is one of those life lessons that one would hope the driver has finally learned — at a very high cost.
Instead of pointing fingers here, we should all learn from the situation. Be better drivers. Don’t abuse your privileges and hopefully you won’t accidentally take a life. One thing is for sure: any accident can be twisted and used by short sellers and their supporters in the media who have a higher degree of influence. This is really a sad thing and, again, the tragedies of others shouldn’t be used to harm more people.
Yes, making an American company look bad in the press could lead to harm. The stock could go down, and if Tesla actually was to fall on hard times (which is what short sellers want), Americans would lose their jobs. It would hurt our economy and our future — all for the sake of those few who wish to make more money shorting a stock and be “proven right.”
To any short seller reading this, let me ask you a question:
What good is being right when you have done so many wrong things to bring harm to others all for the sake of money? This makes you just as guilty of any company actually committing fraud.
Related article: More Than 150 Gas Car Fires Per Day — Can We Please Get Serious About Electric Car Battery Fires?
Related report: The EV Safety Advantage