What to Know
- A report from the NTSB shows a Tesla was traveling over 100 mph before the fiery, fatal crash in Fort Lauderdale
- Edgar Monserratt and driver Barrett Riley, both 18, were killed in the crash.
A preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed a Tesla was traveling over 100 mph before the vehicle crashed and burst into flames, killing the teen driver and passenger in Fort Lauderdale.
"Approximately three seconds before the collision, the vehicle was traveling 116 mph," the report stated. "Two seconds before impact, the car was traveling 108 mph when the driver applied the brakes and increased the steering angle, at which point the stability control engaged."
The Tesla only slowed to 86 mph as the air bags were deployed, according to the NTSB.
Edgar Monserratt and driver Barrett Riley, both 18, were killed in the crash. Alexander Barry, also 18, was hospitalized after he was ejected from the car.
The May 8 crash occurred when a 2014 Tesla Model S was traveling south in the 1300 block of Seabreeze Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. According to witnesses, the driver of the Tesla maneuvered into the left lane to pass another vehicle and lost control of the car while attempting to move back into the right lane, the report stated.
The car went off the roadway and struck a concrete wall, catching fire.
Small portions of the lithium-ion high-voltage battery had separated from the Tesla. The battery reignited twice before and upon arrival at a storage yard before firefighters extinguished the flames.
The NTSB will continue to investigate the crash as well as examine the procedures used to put out fires and store the car post crash.
