Tesla Driver Killed in Accident with Semi-Truck

Earlier in March, an accident killed the driver of a Tesla in Delray Beach after colliding with a semi-truck. On March 1 around 6:40 a.m. the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a traffic accident on State Road 7 near Atlantic Avenue. According to the police, a semi-truck was traveling eastbound on the driveway access to Pero Family Farms and was preparing to make a left turn onto State Road 7. Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, of suburban Lake Worth was driving his 2018 Tesla 3 southbound on State Road 7, approaching Pero Family Farms.

After the truck came to a brief stop at the stop sign of the intersection, it pulled into the southbound lanes of State Road 7, into the path of the oncoming Tesla. The car struck the side of the semi’s trailer, shearing off the roof of the car as it passed underneath. The Tesla continued southbound for at least another three-tenths of a mile before coming to a stop. Banner was declared dead at the scene, and the truck driver suffered no injuries.

Accident Concerns with Electric Vehicles

With more and more electric and hybrid vehicles entering the roadway, new concerns about vehicle safety and accidents are coming to the forefront. Tesla and other vehicles that run on electric batteries and not on gasoline engines are significantly quieter than your typical vehicle. As a result, it is more difficult to hear an electric car coming around a corner or bend in the road. In addition, if a driver of another vehicle is driving distracted or not paying full attention when checking for oncoming vehicles, the electric car’s lack of engine noise could cause the other driver to miss that vehicle entirely.

In addition, more reports are coming out about concerns that the lithium ion batteries being used in electric vehicles like the Tesla may catch fire during or even hours after an accident that causes even further damage to the victim and the vehicle. Similar to the lithium ion batteries that caught fire in Samsung phones, the lithium batteries in electric vehicles have the potential to catch fire, and more than forty fires have been reported in these types of vehicles over the last few years. What could start out as a normal accident could spiral quickly if the battery in an electric vehicle catches fire.

Finally, while the Tesla in this accident was not on autopilot, the advent of self-driving vehicles is another new cause of concerns for accidents on the Florida roadways. Accidents involving self-driving cars will open up brand new questions about liability and compensation for victims of self-driving accidents.

Call or Contact Our Office Today

If you have been involved in a car accident in the West Palm Beach area, you may have a claim for compensation for your injuries. Call or contact Gary Roberts & Associates to schedule a free consultation of your case with one of our experienced West Palm Beach auto accident attorneys today.

Resource:

wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/serious-crash-investigated-on-u-s-441-in-southern-palm-beach-county

https://www.westpalmbeach-injurylawyers.com/the-most-common-causes-of-car-accidents/