There were many major accidents as wicked winter weather set in on the States last week. A few of the accidents were multi-car pileups that left freeways closed and people stranded for many hours. A Tesla owner was able to avoid the initial pileup, though he was eventually hit by a pickup truck driver.
As reported by Wham Baam Teslacam, and shared by Teslarati, Tesla owner Joe Adams was driving into the recent 30-car pileup with almost zero visibility. He was taking his time and making safe choices as he progressed toward the sea of headlights and brake lights.
The accident occurred on December 7, 2022, in the wee hours of the morning. It was on I-90 in Washington State, near the Kittitas exit. The accident involved 30 vehicles, and nearly half were semi-trucks. It was foggy and the mist was freezing to the roadway.
Joe told the publication that he couldn't see very well and didn't want to end up in the pileup like the others, so he chose to take his Tesla toward the median and then off the road. His electric car handled well and allowed him to safely avoid all of the crashed cars and settle on the grassy and snow-covered area beside the road.
After coming to a safe stop, Joe was relieved that he had made it through the tense situation successfully. However, about one minute later, a pickup truck driver with a similar strategy exited the road to the grassy area and t-boned Joe's Tesla. The car was badly damaged, but thankfully, Joe didn't sustain any injuries.
While this was a very unfortunate situation for all involved, it is fortunate that Tesla's vehicles come standard with a built-in dash cam to capture such footage. Joe now has the footage to share and substantiate his story, not to mention the fact that he may need it for insurance purposes. Moreover, the authorities can use such footage as part of their investigations.
The video notes that the Tesla was declared a total loss by Joe's insurance company and taken to a junkyard. The highway patrol will have to complete its investigation before Joe can potentially receive an insurance settlement from the driver of the pickup truck.
