Recent images circulating on social media suggest the involvement of the first Tesla Cybertruck in a crash on public roads, approximately one month after the initial deliveries to customers.
Photographs shared on Reddit depict a Cybertruck stationed across a traffic lane in California, with deployed airbags. Adjacent to it, a severely damaged Toyota Corolla is seen in the bushes.
According to a statement from the California Highway Patrol posted on Reddit, the Corolla is believed to have veered to the right, colliding with a dirt embankment on the right shoulder for unknown reasons. Subsequently, the Toyota is reported to have re-entered the roadway, crossed double yellow lines into the northbound lane, and collided with a Tesla Cybertruck traveling north on SR-35 northbound.
The collision, occurring in Oakland, California, approximately 30km east of San Francisco’s center on December 28, 2023, resulted in substantial front-end damage and deployed airbags in the Corolla.
Contrastingly, the Cybertruck, which deployed its airbags, exhibits deformation in its doors and rear wheel arches, a cracked alloy wheel, and broken rear wheel-arch trim.
The police statement reveals that the Cybertruck driver sustained a suspected minor injury but declined medical transportation, while the Corolla driver reported no injuries. Importantly, the statement notes that there is no indication the Tesla Cybertruck was operating in autonomous mode, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
These images emerge amid concerns expressed by experts regarding the stainless-steel outer structure of the Cybertruck. While Tesla’s website showcases its ability to withstand impacts from hammers, glass balls, and baseballs without denting, experts, including Adrian Lund, former president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), have raised concerns about potential crumpling in a collision and its impact on the safety of occupants and pedestrians.
“The big problem there is if they really make the skin of the vehicle very stiff by using thick stainless steel, then when people hit their heads on it, it’s going to cause more damage to them,” Lund explained to Reuters, underscoring the ongoing scrutiny over the vehicle’s safety features.
