A video has emerged from Russia that shows a Tesla Model 3 bursting into flames after being involved in a crash on the highway.
According to a Russian report, a father was traveling at 100km/h in the electric vehicle with his two daughters before hitting a parked tow truck. The state of the passengers is still unknown, as conflicting stories have emerged.
While we know that no one was killed in the crash, some have said that everyone escaped without injury, while others reported that all three passengers are in hospital with serious injuries.
As well as the injury report, whether the Model 3's auto pilot system was engaged or not at the time of the crash is also a grey area right now. Some Russian media outlets have claimed that the driver was in full control, while others have said that a "trimmed Autopilot" system failed to recognize the stopped truck.
Alexey Tretyakov, later revealed in an interview with Russia's REN TV that he had been holding the steering wheel, but did not see the truck.
"I was going along Moscow ring road in the left lane with a speed of 100km/h and did not notice a parked GAZelle tow truck," he said.
"My Tesla Model 3 hit the tow truck with its left side and caught fire. It was not on full-scale automatic control - in Model 3 there is the function ‘driver’s assistant’ only, so I was holding the wheel."
Footage from the highway camera was also been released, which shows the Tesla braking seconds before it hits the truck, raising the question if it was the car or the driver that pressed the pedal.
The tow truck had been responding to a Lada that had broken down on the inside lane of the highway.
As with other Tesla accidents, we can imagine that this will be investigated thoroughly, and the cause will be released at a later date.