A brand-new Model S Plaid Tesla caught fire in Pennsylvania, USA, this week with its driver at the wheel, according to the authorities and the motorist’s attorney, who said the driver had a hard time getting out of the vehicle, but managed to escape.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening in Haverford, not far from Philadelphia, firefighters from the Lower Merion Fire Department said on Friday in a press release. It added that due to the size of the fire and the type of vehicle involved, many companies were sent to the scene. The car had to be doused with water for over two hours to extinguish the blaze, the fire service said.
According to lawyers who said they represented the driver, the man was at the wheel when the vehicle suddenly burst into flames. He was briefly trapped in the vehicle before managing to extricate himself. Most of the chassis and interior of the vehicle were burnt, according to photos posted on the fire department’s website.
In a message sent to French news agency AFP, Mark Geragos of the Geragos & Geragos cabinet said it had been a “frightening” situation and was evidently a “major problem.”
Geragos, who said his firm represented the driver, told AFP its preliminary investigation was still in progress but that it was asking Tesla to place the vehicles on hold until a full investigation could be completed.
He did not disclose the identity of his client.
Geragos also said he was working on the case in collaboration with another attorney, Jason Setchen of the Athlete Defender firm.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.
The Brussels Times
