Driver Blames Tesla Model S FSD For 8-Car Thanksgiving Pileup

Dec. 23, 2022 12:19 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Electric Vehicles / 2 Comments

The NHTSA is investigating. Again.

A report by CNN indicates a Tesla Model S driver was involved in an eight-car crash while Tesla's "Full-Self Driving" software was active on Thanksgiving. The outlet states a driver told responders at the accident that their Tesla Model S "braked unexpectedly." The result was not good.

Nine people were treated for minor injuries around lunchtime on Thanksgiving. The report has taken some time to come to light, but CNN Business only obtained the accident report this week thanks to a public records request. According to the publication, the "California Highway Patrol reviewed videos that show the Tesla vehicle changing lanes and slowing to a stop."

It is important to note the CHP said in the report from December 7 that it hasn't been able to confirm whether FSD was actually active during the crash. The driver, however, is claiming the controversial semi-autonomous driving software was active, possibly to shift the blame away from themself.

Alternatively, the driver could be telling the truth, which may carry consequences for Tesla at a critical point in the company's lifetime. Tesla leadership questions Musk as CEO, NHTSA investigations continue, and the company's stock price is falling rapidly, dropping nearly 70% in the last year.

It has been rumored that Musk has been told he must choose between being CEO of Twitter or Tesla, a discussion which began to circulate after the billionaire was "voted out" of his role as Twitter boss by a poll of his own making. Musk says he'll leave once he finds someone "foolish enough" to take the job.

2021-2023 Tesla Model X Rear Perspective Driving

Tesla has also recently made FSD available to anyone who owns one of its vehicles. Previously, the software was meted out to those with a high enough safety score (and the available funds to purchase it).

Critical to this report, the NHTSA has been investigating FSD's "phantom braking" issue for some time now, and early reports from this particular accident suggest something like this phenomenon could have occurred once again.

CNN reached out to the NHTSA for comment on this particular incident, and the agency said it was still gathering information to determine what happened. Meanwhile, Tesla has no comment.