On Monday, September 13, 2021, about 8:54 p.m. eastern daylight time, a 2021 Tesla Model 3, Long Range-Dual Motor electric car, occupied by a 20-year-old driver and 19-year-old passenger, was traveling north on Alhambra Circle in Coral Gables, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The weather was clear, the road was dry, and the area was illuminated by streetlamps. As the car approached the signalized intersection with Coral Way, it accelerated, shifted into the southbound lane to pass another car, and then reentered the northbound lane. After this passing maneuver, the car continued to accelerate, running the red light. The driver then lost control, departed the roadway, and struck two trees in the center median. Both the driver and the passenger died. A postcrash fire engulfed the car; firefighters faced challenges in extinguishing the fire and reported that the car’s batteries reignited at least once.
We determined that the probable cause of the Coral Gables, Florida, crash was the driver’s decision to travel at an excessive speed, which led to the failure of the driver to control his car.
