Driver intoxicated and speeding when Tesla crashed and ignited near The Woodlands in 2021, NTSB says

Wednesday, February 8, 2023
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) -- A final report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found that a 2021 fiery crash that killed two people in a Tesla was a result of the driver speeding and being intoxicated.

On April 17, 2021, at about 9:07 p.m., a 2019 Tesla Model S P100D was traveling west on Hammock Dunes Place when it slammed into a tree. The impact caused the car to burst into flames and made it impossible for firefighters to put it out, so it had to burn itself out.

SEE ALSO: Tesla says it's likely someone was in driver's seat before deadly crash near The Woodlands

Two men died in the crash. Authorities said one man was found in the front passenger seat, and the second man was in the back seat.

The victims of the crash were later identified as 69-year-old engineer Everett Talbot and 59-year-old Dr. William Varner, who worked for Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.

NTSB's investigation determined the probable cause of the crash was "the driver's excessive speed and failure to control his car, due to impairment from alcohol intoxication in combination with the effects of two sedating antihistamines, resulting in a roadway departure, tree impact, and post-crash fire."

SEE ALSO: Tesla owner seen on video entering driver's seat before fiery crash in The Woodlands, NTSB says

The report also recommends that manufacturers of electric cars provide details on how to put out the fire if this happens again.
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