A Tesla in self-driving mode has been totalled by a train in Pennsylvania after veering off course and turning directly onto a railway line, in what could’ve been a tragic disaster.
The bizarre incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning in Sinking Spring Borough, Berks County, when a Tesla sedan with three people inside suddenly made a left turn at a railroad crossing and drove straight onto the tracks.
Miraculously, all three passengers managed to get out in time before the vehicle was struck by an oncoming train. The impact caused significant damage to the Tesla, but no injuries were reported.
Western Berks Fire Commissioner, Jared Renshaw, said: “Went down the tracks approximately 40-50 feet. They all exited the vehicle, got their belongings out”.
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According to officials, the crash happened around 5:30am on South Hull Street, shortly after the car engaged its autonomous driving system.
Minutes after stopping on the tracks, a train collided with the vehicle, bringing rail traffic to a halt and prompting a recovery operation that required a crane to lift the electric car.
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Renshaw added: “When I arrived on scene, all of the occupants were already out of the vehicle, so they were travelling, you know at 5:28 in the morning. There was three people inside the car”.
He also pointed out that rolling the Tesla back onto a flatbed was not an option due to the vehicle’s battery being located underneath and close to the train’s path, making the recovery delicate and risky.
The incident marks the first time in the area that emergency services have responded to a crash where occupants confirmed the vehicle was in self-driving mode. Renshaw further explained: “We’ve had accidents involving Teslas that have been in vehicle accidents, but nobody has expressed to us that the vehicle was in self-drive mode when it happened”.
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Photos from the scene show the Tesla sitting wrecked and partially derailed, having taken a direct hit. The dramatic images quickly circulated online, drawing fresh criticism of Tesla’s autonomous features, which have been promoted as a safer alternative to human drivers.
The crash comes at a time when Tesla is aggressively pushing forward with its self-driving technology, even launching an autonomous taxi programme in Austin, Texas. Yet, the company remains under scrutiny following a string of high-profile incidents involving its vehicles operating in so-called Full Self-Driving mode.
Then, of course, there's the ongoing negative spotlight over Tesla CEO Elon Musk, with his ongoing feud between himself and US President, Donald Trump.
Safety regulators in the US have already investigated hundreds of crashes involving Teslas running on autopilot, some of which have resulted in fatalities. A recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pointed to a mismatch between user expectations and the system’s real-world capabilities.
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While no one was harmed in this latest close call, it adds to growing concerns over whether current self-driving tech is truly ready for public roads, or railway crossings.