On Sunday, January 19, San Franciso, California residents witnessed a seven-car pile-up after a speeding Tesla Model Y crashed into the car in the rear of the Waymo. The Waymo car slammed into the cars ahead of it, killing one man and a dog.
Waymo’s crash data reported the Tesla was driving at 98 mph before crashing into it, critically damaging the Waymo and injuring all seven occupants of the other vehicles involved in the pile-up. One of the drivers is in the hospital in critical condition.
Recently, footage from another Tesla recorded a similar Model Y crashing into two other cars before running a red light and speeding down the street moments before striking the Waymo. Police are working to determine if it was the same Tesla.
Police arrested 66-year-old Jia Lin Zheng on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving causing injury, and felony vandalism without bond.
Authorities are doing the “wait and see” approach
Authorities haven’t charged Zheng with anything officially, as the city waits to see if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs before the crash.
Zhengh told investigators he tried to stop the Tesla, but he wasn’t able to stop on time. This, DA Brooke Jenkins said, prompts an investigation to see whether or not there was something wrong with the vehicle, and concrete evidence of his speed.
“That requires a significant vehicle inspection, generally done by the manufacturer of the vehicle,” she told NBC. “It requires accident reconstruction. We need to figure out how fast he was going and a download of the black box that was in the vehicle.”
Until more evidence is produced, Zheng waits behind bars.
Viewers don’t think the Tesla crash was an accident
“Tesla has automatic video recording,” a viewer wrote. “His own car will put him in prison.”
Someone else noted that going over triple the speed limit is never an accident.
“98 mph in the middle of downtown San Franciso with all those cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists is absolutely insane,” wrote another. “I won’t even go that fast on the freeway.”
Another thinks they may have had a close call with Zheng.
“Wow. I was just in San Francisco with my wife and kids this past weekend and a younger Asian man driving a Tesla almost crashed into us,” they said. “We were on a one-lane road and driving the speed limit but he couldn’t wait behind us and tried to cut around through the bike lane but couldn’t get by. Had the nerve to honk at us, too.”
