Florida man dies after his Tesla Model S crashed and caught fire



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Omar Awan, a man from South Florida, died Sunday after his Tesla Model S was out of control – for reasons unknown to date – hit several trees and was in flames.

Police estimated that the car was traveling between 75 and 90 mph.

"It was just a huge fireball, it's not possible that anyone could save anyone there," said a passer-by at Local 10.

According to the police report, "the efforts to extract the driver were unsuccessful".

According to an on-site reporter, police said their rescue efforts were thwarted by the fact that the Tesla's retractable door handles did not retract after the accident. When asked about door handles, a Tesla spokesperson told Business Insider on page 24 of the company's first responder guide.

"We are deeply saddened by this accident and our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy," Tesla said in a statement to Business Insider. "We have sought the cooperation of the local authorities We understand that the speed is under study" You should know that high-speed collisions can cause a fire in any type of car, not only in electric vehicles. "

By the time a police officer arrived a few minutes after the accident, the car was already in flames. The body was burned to the point of no longer being recognized, according to the police report.

The blue Model S was towed, but shortly before Monday, she "re-ignited and caught fire again because of an exhausted battery," the report adds.

Last May, two teenagers died after their 112-mph Model S became uncontrollable and crashed into a wall near Fort Lauderdale. They were also trapped in the car.

One of the victim's parents is suing Tesla. They claim that one of the company's service centers has removed a speed limitation device that the driver's parents had installed in the car without notifying him.

They also claim that the car is not "in shock" because its battery is "inherently unstable and prone to explosion and spontaneous fire".

"The vehicle had inadequate measures to prevent a fire after a collision, namely: the Tesla battery pack was not treated with an intumescent material to protect and provide protection against the spread of the battery. thermal runaway from one cell to the other, "the lawsuit says.

For Tesla, however, this crash was a matter of speed.

"Our thoughts continue to be with the families affected by this tragedy," Tesla told Business Insider about the lawsuit. "Unfortunately, no car could have withstood such a high-speed crash." Tesla's Speed ​​Limit Mode, which allows Tesla owners to limit the speed and acceleration of their car, has was presented as a live update last year, dedicated to our customer 's son, Barrett Riley, tragically deceased in the accident.

If you have any experience or information regarding Tesla or its batteries, please contact this reporter at [email protected].

Note: This article has been updated to include a response from Tesla.

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