USNTSB sends team to investigate California crash and lithium-ion battery fire involving a Tesla Semi
CTV
A crash and large fire along a California freeway involving an electric Tesla Semi has drawn the attention of federal safety investigators.
A crash and large fire along a California freeway involving an electric Tesla Semi has drawn the attention of federal safety investigators.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it's sending a team of investigators from the Office of Highway Safety mainly to look into fire risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.
The team will work with the California Highway Patrol to “examine the wreckage and gather details about the events leading up to the collision and the subsequent fire response,” the agency said in a statement.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the Tesla rig was traveling east on Interstate 80 around 3:15 a.m. Monday near Emigrant Gap, about 70 miles (113 kilometres) northeast of Sacramento, when it went off the road and collided with trees near the right shoulder.
The battery caught fire, spewing toxic fumes and reaching a temperature of 1,000 degrees, forcing firefighters to wait for it to burn out, the Highway Patrol told the newspaper. The Tesla driver walked away from the crash and was taken to a hospital, and the freeway was temporarily closed.
The battery burned into the late afternoon while firefighters tried to cool it down for cleanup, and the freeway didn't reopen until 7:20 p.m., authorities said.
A message was left Thursday seeking comment on the crash and fire from Tesla.
