It's very unlikely that a huge structure would fall on top of your car, but if it does, could you honestly say that you would survive it? That depends on two factors: How sturdy your car is and how heavy the debris might be. Luckily for the case of a Tesla driver, the circumstances were forgiving as he survived the incident.
Tesla vs Crane
In an incident that happened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a Tesla Model Y driver survived a collapse caused by a crane malfunction, which led to a massive debris falling into the bridge. Even though the said debris hit his car, the driver walked away with not so much as a scratch.
According to someone who witnessed the incident, the section of the crane that fell into the vehicle smashed into the Tesla but quickly bounced off. Unfortunately, the vehicle did sustain damage in the front, and the structure landed on another car.
The Tesla driver, Mark Cerezin, said that he instinctively stepped on the brakes as hard as he could just as the debris was falling, and while the front of the Model Y was crushed, the car's cabin kept him safe from any harm, as per Interesting Engineering.
"Had I not slammed as hard as I had with my foot? I'm not here speaking to you," Cerezin stated. The other car that the crane section fell into was not as lucky, and the driver sustained injuries from the collapse.
Cerezin immediately tried to help the other driver by using his shirt to compress her wounds. While everyone in the vehicles affected by the collapse survived, the accident cost a construction worker his life and two others were injured.
As for why the construction crane section fell in the first place, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan explained that the work platform attached to the crane was the root of the collapse, and not the crane itself.
Tesla's Safety
In a post by Douglas Thron on X, who is an expert commercial heavy-lift drone pilot, Tesla replied saying: "Glad he's ok!" Others applauded the sturdiness of the vehicle, with one user even saying that Teslas are "built battering strong."
Another recommended that people should put themselves and their loved ones in the "safest vehicle on the planet," referring to the Tesla. "Imagine a chunk of crane falling on your car from a skyscraper's height & walking off without even a scratch. Miraculous isn't it?"
Tesla driver talks about surviving Fort Lauderdale crane landing on his car. pic.twitter.com/ZcLTiMXu9p
— California Drone Cleaning DOUGLAS THRON (@douglasthron777) April 4, 2024
While surviving a huge chunk of metal is a huge selling point from here on out, Tesla also offers other safety features for its drivers. For instance, it comes with active measures like Automatic Emergency Braking, which can detect pedestrians or other obstacles ahead.
Tesla vehicles let out audible warnings when there is an impending collision. There's also the Blind Spot Warning, wherein the car warns the driver when there is a possible collision with a vehicle or obstacle in a spot drivers usually miss. Most brands have yet to add these features to their cars.
