Tesla Model 3 stops on highway, gets hit by two other vehicles killing driver

Tesla has made headlines again for the wrong reason when a Model 3 electric compact sedan was abruptly stopped on a highway in Independence, Missouri and hit by two other vehicles. The Tesla driver was killed in the accident, while the passenger of the car as well as the occupants of the two other vehicles that impacted the Model 3 survived with minor injuries.

The crash took place on 27th February on I-70, just east of Kansas City. As Independence Police Department has said, the Tesla came to a complete stop in the middle of the road and two approaching vehicles failed to avoid it. The electric car was driven by a 74-year-old man, who died due to the impact.

The Missouri Police Department has said that their initial investigation indicates that the Tesla faced a mechanical issue that caused the vehicle to lose power and stop in the roadway. As a result, approaching vehicles were unable to avoid colliding with them.

The police also said that everyone involved in the accident was wearing a seatbelt. The crash is currently under investigation. The police have also said that investigators will be working to extract vital data from onboard computers of the Model 3.

This crash happened at a time when the NHTSA recently launched an investigation into reports of phantom braking happened to numerous Tesla models. Several Tesla owners have reported that their cars are randomly slamming on the brakes without reason. Such abrupt braking on a busy highway or city road in the middle of traffic could cause a serious accident, which could be fatal.

This is not the first time Tesla cars have been involved in accidents due to technical mishaps. Previously, Tesla's famous semi-autonomous driving system Autopilot has been accused of being glitchy on several occasions, resulting in major accidents.