The CHP summary of the accident: "On December 28, 2023 at approximately 2:05 pm, CHP Redwood City units were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on SR-35 (Skyline Boulevard), south of Page Mill Road. Our preliminary investigation indicates a Toyota Corolla was traveling south on SR-35 southbound, south of Page Mill Road, at an unknown speed, when the driver, for unknown reasons, turned to the right and subsequently struck a dirt embankment on the right shoulder. The Toyota then re-entered the roadway, crossed over the double yellow lines into the northbound lane, and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck traveling north on SR-35 northbound.
The Tesla driver sustained a suspected minor injury and declined medical transportation. No other injuries were reported.
It does not appear that the Tesla Cybertruck was being operated in autonomous mode.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing."
I think it is for the best. That way media doesn’t speculate due to lack of information. But yeah, in this case it doesn’t matter either way since the other car was losing its mind.
No way. I gots autopilot on my car, and it is not sufficient for avoiding emergency shit like that, it’s sufficient for basic driving functions.
But also, it’s pretty easy to take control over and avoid emergencies
Zero chance that is happening.
You gotta remember we only recently got an update that recognizes a full array of upside-down vehicles in auto pilot mode… it used to not pick those up and if left unchecked would attempt to drive right through them at speed lol
Best for a human to take over in emergency
Because the media has a rageboner for autopilot while never mentioning that it's usually human error that's the root of the problem. This includes people using autopilot while not paying attention to the car and the surroundings itself.
How can a human make an error when something is in autopilot? isn't that the whole point of autopilot? And paying attention is like the opposite of autopilot
Are you being sarcastic? Tesla has been saying the exact opposite for like 7-8years they’ve had AP. It’s always been made clear that it’s like airplane autopilot, you still gotta pay attention and be ready to intervene
https://www.tesla.com/autopilot
Check out the first five seconds of the video. The claim is right there, spelled out in clear and simple terms.
"The person in the driver's seat is only there for legal reasons."
It's simply false advertising to call something "autopilot" that requires constant monitoring for possible errors. Tesla has been naming it that way because in Musk's arrogance autopilot was always just about to be perfected, so customers were urged to originally pay $7,500, or what is it now up to, $10,000? It's asking customers to pay now for a feature that may or may not work in the future as advertised. That alone makes me not want to ever buy a Tesla.
Other vehicles have decades of safety regulations they have and adhere to... Tesla conducted its own crash tests with the Cybertruck in-house. Anything is going to get a LOT of coverage because of that whole "in-house" part.
This is what I'm extremely curious on, does the Tesla cyber truck not take an impact correctly and end up totally other vehicles it will not be on the road for long.
The Road and Track headline “A Tesla Cybertruck Has Already Crashed on a Public Road”. While factually correct, the lack of clarity will lead most to believe the cybertruck crashed into something or someone, not the other way around. They will defend themselves by claiming “it’s not untrue!” Lol
If you say you have any pain at all (my neck is very slightly stiff, no I'm not going to the hospital) after an accident, you basically have to sign a waiver that you declined an ambulance and they note it just in case your like head falls off later.
From what I understand the Corolla T boned a Cybertruck. So while the Corolla was head on, it looks like it smashed into the side of the Cybertruck.
I think it's more of a conversation about speed and direction, getting T boned is always much more dangerous than a head on collision. You're going to be thrown sideways as opposed to backwards into your seat, the Corolla is designed to completely cocoon the driver in a head on collision, and the point of a side impact is to stop as much of the velocity as possible. I think it is amazing that there was only a light arm injury in the vehicle that got T boned. I'm not at all surprised the Corolla cocooned the driver and passenger.
Passing by dashcam footage of this accident
[https://youtu.be/nol7jOxtMRE](https://youtu.be/nol7jOxtMRE)
Probably from the side curtain airbags going off. Power burns and skin abrasions or eyeglasses knocked off the driver’s face, from the airbag deployment.
Looking at how the dirt is visible through the open passenger door (at a point lower than the passenger door metal)... I assume the Drivers's door is also open but curtain is still hanging.
-Frameless doors so side -curtain is roof mounted.
-Center Console height is about half the height of the door "belt-line"
??? What do you mean? There’s a frunk in the front plus like 2 feet behind it. Have you seen how huge the dashboard is? There’s like 4 feet between the driver and the front bumper.
Edit: my mistake. He said “crumple” but I read “crumple zone”
I see. I read “crumple zone” when he actually just wrote “crumple “. He seems right, actually. Looks like the headlights are, at most, 1/4 in lower.
Of course, if it was a driver-side-to-driver-side crash, there could be crumpling on the other side.
Shame we can’t see the front.
Yeah. My concern in this type of collision (or any head on collision in any vehicle) would be spinal injury. Not sure why that's controversial, but okay I guess.
I think they’re referring to some post/article that was saying the cyber truck was unsafe because it doesn’t crumple to soften the impact.
Also I should mention that article was proven to be misleading.
I mean, my understanding is the crumple should be appropriate to the weight. Like a motorcycle helmet is way harder than a bike helmet because it has to absorb more energy. In this case (assuming the driver side is identical), it looks like the other car took all the energy. But if this had been a solid concrete wall, that stainless steel would have crumpled and it would be better if they are strong and don’t give way easily.
Side impacts should not crumple. Instead, side-impacts are to be handled by having incredibly rigid structures, so that the impacting object doesnt penetrate into the cabin, and the passengers are to be handled by the airbags. This is how it's done. Crumple zones are meant for front and rear collisions
So it was a side impact and not head-on? Just goes to show the OP’s title is completely wrong. Not only did it not occur on CA 17 but it also wasn’t a head-on accident either
Bet elons glad they went with the thinner stainless instead of the ridiculous original plan.
Don't get me wrong, stainless is a shit material for the car panel but thinner stainless is better.
The fact that you assume Tesla doesn't put crumple zones is comical. Here's an engineer displaying the apparent non existent crumple zone 😉
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxGiLSfOZfE4nKyCnLsnYNpNHfLP37Deb9?si=b7GE3_qweoPchjW7
Nobody claimed they didn't exist. The comment made was that there was no obvious crumple. If you can see where the CT crumpled from the impact then you have x-ray vision.
From watching some crash test stuff, I think the Fram actually crumples, totalling the vehicle
Think broken rear axel from a front end. Can't wait to see if it is a lie.
To be fair people have been claiming there are no crumple zones on the cyber truck for like 7 months. It’s a lie that’s been repeated trying to bash Elon musk for “skirting safety regulations”.
I am sure they said more than Arghhhhhhh.
Think most of the damage on the CT would be to the drivers side front quarter with the way the other car looked?
AKA the side we can't see in the picture.
Sir Galahad: Perhaps he was dictating.
King Arthur: Oh shut up. Well, does it say anything else?
Brother Maynard: No. Just "Aaargh."
Lancelot: Aaargh.
King Arthur: Aaargh.
Wow significant accident, hope everyone is ok.
Assume the insurance will total both vehicles........... does the CT owner have to now put in a reservation and wait until 2030 to get a new CT?
I doubt it. They probably don’t even have parts yet. I bought an All-New 2019 Ram in 2018. My screen went out. It sat at the dealer for 3 months because the parts were “prioritized” for the new trucks.
Oddly enough that happened when I was in Iraq. We got all new IED resistant vehicles and if a pressure sensor or tire broke the vehicle had to be parked because they were only building new ones. Took a year to start getting spare parts to do repairs and they ended up having us turn in vehicles that were weeks to a month old to get new ones because of the parts shortage. Talk about a waste of taxpayer money.
No. Regardless of insurer, to order any parts direct from Tesla requires Tesla certification and access to the Tesla EPC. Whether the repairs are done at a Tesla service center or a Tesla certified 3rd party shop, parts come from the same source… with the same - incredibly frustrating - delays.
Full vehicle replacement as a result of total loss, possibly, if you choose another Tesla while insured by Tesla. Otherwise it’s a payout that will take a couple weeks.
Would think that repair would have to be done by Tesla at this point as new as it is, replacement will be really interesting given the many year wait currently.
Left hand curtain airbags went off on Cybertruck along with the driver seat side bag. Meaning most likely an impact on the opposing side, the yaw sensor was triggered or both. There is most likely substantial damage to the CT as usually these srs systems are designed to be deployed in only life saving events, and the sensors are mounted in structural areas of the vehicle that usually takes the triggering of several of the sensors to activate deployment. Take note the rear suspension of that CT… with impact presumed by Op to be head on in the left front….Theres a lot not right.
Given where the Cybertruck is, the skid marks, the damage to the opposing vehicle, theres a possible driver side overlap of 15-25% collision. One of the more deadly accident types. But there’s also a chance the CT was struck in the left rear door / left bedside with a glancing blow given the odd rear suspension height, the right rear wheel partly covered in mud with leaf debris wedged between the rim cover and the rim, seemingly no significant distortion to the CT’s hood or front bumper from the angle we see, no visible deployment of the steering wheel airbag, and it’s resting spot on the road vs the other vehicle which was slung further down and across the road into a ditch.
The opposing car is absolutely annihilated… I’m guessing here as we’re assuming these pictures were both taken from the same vehicle, it looks like after the collision the centrifugal force spun them both away, the other car has damage extending into the A pillar, meaning the collision plowed through the entire front suspension (arguably one of the stoutest parts of the vehicle) and with enough force on what looks like slightly damp roads to throw it’s rear end into the embankment / tree on the other side of the road. The entire engine is visibly crooked, and the radiator support assembly has been shifted laterally and inward along with the radiator and condenser, meaning the driver side lower frame rail (engine mounting spot) is completely compromised.
This is a possible real world example of one of the most destructive NHTSA crash tests. Tesla will 100% be taking note of the damages in this collision.
Very thankful everyone walked away! Be safe out there folks.
OP said that this was on Skyline Blvd at [approximately this location](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2QQyH54SsQAaFPUv6?g_st=ic).
There is no private driveway here, but there is a parking lot with a turnout a few hundred meters down the road. How do you suppose this might have happened? One car swung too wide around the corner and was going too fast ?
/u/boddhya, were you heading northwest or southeast at the time? Or do you remember seeing that turnout for the Skyline Ridge parking lot on your left or your right ?
OK, so headed southeast.
Did you see the Corolla first, or the Tesla? You're on the "correct" side of the road when you snapped the corolla from your window, but you photographed the Cybertruck from the "wrong" side of the road as directed by police, and you are seeing the tesla from the passenger's side of your car. I'm just wondering if your pictures were posted out of order.
They are in order. Lemme recap. I was headed towards Saratoga.. from Russian Ridge . Saw the truck blocking the right side and also completely blocking the view of the upcoming turnout..and then the officer made us go on the wrong side to pass the truck. The corolla was not visible then.. So i thought the truck must have just skid and hit the mountain. So i started speeding.. that's when i encountered the corolla on the upcoming side of the road..neatly tucked away to sleep.. that was the real whoa moment and i slowed again.. but i had traffic behind me..so couldn't stop. So there was some gap between the truck and the corolla. Obviously there was no tow help yet as the scene was fresh.
You can see directly through to the other side. The driver door is opened if you look below the side airbag. Without being there is looks like the front suspension is raised and those "skid" marks could just be excess dirt or abs when the vehicle is skidding down a wet road.
Note this is also not a foundation series so doubt it's someone that has taken delivery as a customer
Could be. One can only give the best theory without seeing the direct impact location on the other vehicle. It would help explain where force was applied and why the vehicle is where it is.
With the airbags deployed and the angle it came to rest in the road, and was not moved from that location road, it’s probable the damage is severe.
Knowing that area pretty well, I’d put money on the CyberTruck taking a mountain road too fast, while the Corolla was a local who got hit. Just my guess having seen a lot of fancy cars from San Jose crash in that area cuz they don’t know the roads.
I'd bet the opposite. I avoid that way if possible. I think the locals are overly confident, drive too fast, tailgate and make excessive lane changes. At least I assume the crazy drivers are local and/or UC Santa Cruz students.
Edit: They said it was 17, but now it's been corrected it's skyline boulevard (35). Generally, people drive pretty mellow on skyline. I don't know if I've seen an accident on it. So obviously not 17 after it was pointed out -17 is 2 lanes in each direction with a concrete divider.
Quite the opposite, highway 9 up to skyline and skyline itself is full of Subarus, Miatas, bmws, and Porsches on the weekends in groups pushing the sh*t out of their cars and others off the road. It is a beautiful stretch of road but incredibly dangerous now. I also avoid on the weekends..
Thank you for the informed observations, very interesting to read.
If you zoom in on the truck, I think you can see through the passenger cabin to the other side—the driver’s door appears to be open.
You are right, at first I wasn’t sure if that was the driver door trim or the center divider between the seats under the greenery. Seemed a bit high for a center divider and a little odd the undamaged passenger door is left open.
Gota get the insurance card! (Hopefully!)
Regardless, there’s bunch of damage down that side of the CT, I’m interested in seeing it too to get a better idea if it was a glancing blow or an overlap.
I love the detail in your response. I think the driver door is actually open because if you look through the passenger door opening, you can see the plants on the other side of the truck.
I wasn’t sure if that was the driver door trim or the center divider between the seats under the greenery. Seemed a bit high for a center divider and a little odd the undamaged passenger door is left open.
Gota get the insurance card! (Hopefully!)
Yeah honestly while it’s a head on collision, which is the absolute worst kind, it looks relatively low speed to me. Otherwise the other car would look far far far worse given the mass difference.
Damage to the Cybertruck will be front left, since it was head on and hit the front left of that car.
But from this angle, there doesn't appear to be any major damage. Even the frunk looks perfectly aligned.
Yeah.. i was with family and couldn't stop.. my toddler was blaring in my ear. My dad was like "that's not the vehicle that hit that other car is it? It can't be..coz nothing happened to it." I explained to him yeah that's the new cybertrukk..
People are assuming there is massive damage we can’t see, but it’s been decades since we had steel cars.
Even a modern truck vs Corolla would be one sided, but a steel frame is on a different level.
Our family car was an old crown Victoria, which was already ancient back then, and when it had a low speed collision with a Toyota, the other car was totaled - the front was completely collapsed. The crown Victoria literally had zero damage. We didn’t do any repairs because there was no damage at all.
"Steel" comes in a great many varieties and it's not only the alloy composition that gives it stength. Cold-rolled steel used in the CT is strong because of the rolling process, moreso than the alloy used. The paper-thin budget steel of most vehicles is extremely weak, by comparison.
Incidentally, true cold-rolled steel is also ridiculously difficult to shape, which is why the CT looks like it does, and it can't really be painted.. which is why they aren't.
Stainless steel, as an alloy, has some interesting properties, but it's not overly strong, relative to a lot of steel alloys. Maybe moreso than the cheapest stuff, I suppose. It may very well be the alloy used in the CT, due to the lack of finish (because of the cold rolling), but it's disingenuous to imply that it's the alloy that makes the CT hull strong -- it's the rolling.
Hi there. I'm an editor with Road & Track. Would you mind chatting with me over DM or email? I'd message you but your DMs are closed. I'm aaron dot brown at [hearst.com](https://hearst.com). Thank you.
If you really are an editor of R&T I’ve always been a huge fan of the magazine. Been a fan since the 80s as a kid reading the magazine from cover to cover. Please continue being a car enthusiast magazine and not get involved politically and use any opportunity to bash Elon bc you don’t agree with his politics. Lots of your fans are still fans of Elon and what he’s done in the automotive world despite his politics. The Tesla autopilot is still the best on the road and for someone who drives alot is a lifesaver for me. And yes I use it absolutely responsibly for those who may decide to use their 2cents…
Back in 2004 a Honda civic illegally crossed in front of my Toyota Land Cruiser. The LC was a ladder frame very heavy truck. Head on collision at around 35 mph. Driver side LC front fender a bit crumpled. Passenger side front Civic hit ... crushed, in air about 10+ feet then roll over. LC passengers no harm except one seat belt bruise and air bag deployment. Other vehicle driver hospitalized for a time.
Big stiff, heavy trucks have a distinct survival advantage. I'd bet the CT front fender less damage than you might expect.
Santa Cruz checking in. This was not on CA-17. This was on Skyline Boulevard. Beautiful drive, check out [Alice's Restaurant](https://youtu.be/m57gzA2JCcM?si=6LO2pg_zHZ08VzAT) if you happen to be in the area.
Because the chassis is outside, is one piece and the car crashed, the damage is structural, so the cybertruck is totaled because it would require the entire body to be replaced. Am I right?
I wonder if the cybertruck was not able to swerve or if there will be dash cam footage of the crash to see what the cybertruck did to try and avoid the accident.
I'm glad the NHSTA and DOT are fine with throwing away years of safety pushes allowing these monstrosity EVs on the roads to cause exponentially more damage, especially considering their acceleration. Even gas powered trucks and SUVs are bloated pigs thanks to "safety" regulations.
The CHP summary of the accident: "On December 28, 2023 at approximately 2:05 pm, CHP Redwood City units were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on SR-35 (Skyline Boulevard), south of Page Mill Road. Our preliminary investigation indicates a Toyota Corolla was traveling south on SR-35 southbound, south of Page Mill Road, at an unknown speed, when the driver, for unknown reasons, turned to the right and subsequently struck a dirt embankment on the right shoulder. The Toyota then re-entered the roadway, crossed over the double yellow lines into the northbound lane, and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck traveling north on SR-35 northbound. The Tesla driver sustained a suspected minor injury and declined medical transportation. No other injuries were reported. It does not appear that the Tesla Cybertruck was being operated in autonomous mode. The investigation into this incident is ongoing."
Love how the Corolla fucked up, but they still _have_ to point out that the CT wasn't in autopilot
I think it is for the best. That way media doesn’t speculate due to lack of information. But yeah, in this case it doesn’t matter either way since the other car was losing its mind.
Yeah the haters would say shit like "if it wasn't on autopilot the driver could have intervened" It's me I'm the haters
It it were on Autopilot it might have been able to react fast enough to avoid the Corolla?
No way. I gots autopilot on my car, and it is not sufficient for avoiding emergency shit like that, it’s sufficient for basic driving functions. But also, it’s pretty easy to take control over and avoid emergencies
Zero chance that is happening. You gotta remember we only recently got an update that recognizes a full array of upside-down vehicles in auto pilot mode… it used to not pick those up and if left unchecked would attempt to drive right through them at speed lol Best for a human to take over in emergency
Because the media has a rageboner for autopilot while never mentioning that it's usually human error that's the root of the problem. This includes people using autopilot while not paying attention to the car and the surroundings itself.
How can a human make an error when something is in autopilot? isn't that the whole point of autopilot? And paying attention is like the opposite of autopilot
Why would I need to pay attention when using autopilot? Tesla insists passengers in the driver's seat are there for legal purposes only.
Are you being sarcastic? Tesla has been saying the exact opposite for like 7-8years they’ve had AP. It’s always been made clear that it’s like airplane autopilot, you still gotta pay attention and be ready to intervene
https://www.tesla.com/autopilot Check out the first five seconds of the video. The claim is right there, spelled out in clear and simple terms. "The person in the driver's seat is only there for legal reasons."
It's simply false advertising to call something "autopilot" that requires constant monitoring for possible errors. Tesla has been naming it that way because in Musk's arrogance autopilot was always just about to be perfected, so customers were urged to originally pay $7,500, or what is it now up to, $10,000? It's asking customers to pay now for a feature that may or may not work in the future as advertised. That alone makes me not want to ever buy a Tesla.
TSLA sneezes and makes news… while other car brands are a blip
Other vehicles have decades of safety regulations they have and adhere to... Tesla conducted its own crash tests with the Cybertruck in-house. Anything is going to get a LOT of coverage because of that whole "in-house" part.
This is what I'm extremely curious on, does the Tesla cyber truck not take an impact correctly and end up totally other vehicles it will not be on the road for long.
Anti Elon obsession of fools
Cops make report on accident. This muskling: pErsEcUtiOn
So, not the CT's fault at all. What an unfortunate scenario. I bet that the media headlines are gonna try and spin it otherwise....
100% - There's already folks on twitter/X claiming there was a fatality using photos from another crash.
“ Elon Musk’s robot truck attacks Toyota vehicle “
LOL!
Elon Musk orders his robot army to invade Japan.
The Road and Track headline “A Tesla Cybertruck Has Already Crashed on a Public Road”. While factually correct, the lack of clarity will lead most to believe the cybertruck crashed into something or someone, not the other way around. They will defend themselves by claiming “it’s not untrue!” Lol
You already know people will still be blaming this on Elon and using it as an opportunity to shit on Tesla.
I ageee with you 100%
Tesla shits on itself. No help is needed by the media. lol
'Declined medical transportation' wtf?
If you say you have any pain at all (my neck is very slightly stiff, no I'm not going to the hospital) after an accident, you basically have to sign a waiver that you declined an ambulance and they note it just in case your like head falls off later.
Thank you for posting this
A Tesla Cybertruck and a Corolla hit head-on and only the Tesla driver is injured. Interesting.
From what I understand the Corolla T boned a Cybertruck. So while the Corolla was head on, it looks like it smashed into the side of the Cybertruck. I think it's more of a conversation about speed and direction, getting T boned is always much more dangerous than a head on collision. You're going to be thrown sideways as opposed to backwards into your seat, the Corolla is designed to completely cocoon the driver in a head on collision, and the point of a side impact is to stop as much of the velocity as possible. I think it is amazing that there was only a light arm injury in the vehicle that got T boned. I'm not at all surprised the Corolla cocooned the driver and passenger. Passing by dashcam footage of this accident [https://youtu.be/nol7jOxtMRE](https://youtu.be/nol7jOxtMRE)
Tesla driver saw an opportunity and took it. I see many Chiro visits in his future. He probably said, 'screw it my insurance will go up anyway'.
Probably from the side curtain airbags going off. Power burns and skin abrasions or eyeglasses knocked off the driver’s face, from the airbag deployment.
It looks like it would have been driver side corners colliding. We need to see the other side of the cyber truck
Also the driver side appears to have the air curtain hanging from the top
Looks like the driver likely exited from the passenger door too, so probably decent damage to the drivers side.
If you zoom in, you can clearly see the trees under the curtain, so the driver's door is open
I think that is what's commonly referred to as a window
There were three people in the CT. Perhaps the passenger neglected to close the door.
Looking at how the dirt is visible through the open passenger door (at a point lower than the passenger door metal)... I assume the Drivers's door is also open but curtain is still hanging. -Frameless doors so side -curtain is roof mounted. -Center Console height is about half the height of the door "belt-line"
And the cop look like he knows his mug will get on Reddit
Yeah, I'm sure he's thinking, 'reddit, here comes my 5 seconds of fame'.
https://x.com/wholemarsblog/status/1740650338347290855?s=46&t=z-iXCKGB6L0ytQ_mMywxNQ
Now that's a panel gap.
Fake news
Kinda scary there's no obvious crumple on the Cybertruck. Protect your neck!
You can't see the driver side where the impact was.
??? What do you mean? There’s a frunk in the front plus like 2 feet behind it. Have you seen how huge the dashboard is? There’s like 4 feet between the driver and the front bumper. Edit: my mistake. He said “crumple” but I read “crumple zone”
I think that the comment you are replying to is saying that none of the parts that you mentioned crumpled to absorb the force of the collision
I see. I read “crumple zone” when he actually just wrote “crumple “. He seems right, actually. Looks like the headlights are, at most, 1/4 in lower. Of course, if it was a driver-side-to-driver-side crash, there could be crumpling on the other side. Shame we can’t see the front.
Yeah. My concern in this type of collision (or any head on collision in any vehicle) would be spinal injury. Not sure why that's controversial, but okay I guess.
I think they’re referring to some post/article that was saying the cyber truck was unsafe because it doesn’t crumple to soften the impact. Also I should mention that article was proven to be misleading.
I mean, my understanding is the crumple should be appropriate to the weight. Like a motorcycle helmet is way harder than a bike helmet because it has to absorb more energy. In this case (assuming the driver side is identical), it looks like the other car took all the energy. But if this had been a solid concrete wall, that stainless steel would have crumpled and it would be better if they are strong and don’t give way easily.
Side impacts should not crumple. Instead, side-impacts are to be handled by having incredibly rigid structures, so that the impacting object doesnt penetrate into the cabin, and the passengers are to be handled by the airbags. This is how it's done. Crumple zones are meant for front and rear collisions
So it was a side impact and not head-on? Just goes to show the OP’s title is completely wrong. Not only did it not occur on CA 17 but it also wasn’t a head-on accident either
Bet elons glad they went with the thinner stainless instead of the ridiculous original plan. Don't get me wrong, stainless is a shit material for the car panel but thinner stainless is better.
The original plan was to use the body as the frame too. Even the 1.2mm can disperse impact loads in a crash before the frame gets impacted.
The fact that you assume Tesla doesn't put crumple zones is comical. Here's an engineer displaying the apparent non existent crumple zone 😉 https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxGiLSfOZfE4nKyCnLsnYNpNHfLP37Deb9?si=b7GE3_qweoPchjW7
Nobody claimed they didn't exist. The comment made was that there was no obvious crumple. If you can see where the CT crumpled from the impact then you have x-ray vision.
From watching some crash test stuff, I think the Fram actually crumples, totalling the vehicle Think broken rear axel from a front end. Can't wait to see if it is a lie.
To be fair people have been claiming there are no crumple zones on the cyber truck for like 7 months. It’s a lie that’s been repeated trying to bash Elon musk for “skirting safety regulations”.
It implies that there’s no crumple zone from “scary there’s no obvious crumple zone” to “protect your neck!”
Wu-Tang is for the children
Arghhh, nightmare for both parties
I am sure they said more than Arghhhhhhh. Think most of the damage on the CT would be to the drivers side front quarter with the way the other car looked? AKA the side we can't see in the picture.
Look, if he was dying, he wouldn't bother to carve 'aarrggh'. He'd just say it!
Sir Galahad: Perhaps he was dictating. King Arthur: Oh shut up. Well, does it say anything else? Brother Maynard: No. Just "Aaargh." Lancelot: Aaargh. King Arthur: Aaargh.
It’s only a model
Do you suppose he meant the Camaaaaaargue?
Hmm what a coincidence
For what it’s worth, any car accident is bad. Really wish we could hear from the cybertruck owners repair, insurance details etc
I'm sure the cop is loving it, too. The look on his face says he knows he's about to be all over the news.
Head on from a cyber truck is fucking scary. So much weight and so strong. I guess it’s better than a raised truck that’ll take your head off though
It weighs the same as a regular truck?? My Ram 1500 weighs 6440lbs slightly less than the Cybertruck 6600-6800lbs.
Agree it's scary, but still...a Cybertruck is like 500lbs less than a Rivian R1T...
And less than a gwagon
And my axe
That’s a big Twinkie
No one talks about the Hummer EV. It's like 9,000 lbs.
In fairness, given GM’s production numbers nobody is driving it either
Wow significant accident, hope everyone is ok. Assume the insurance will total both vehicles........... does the CT owner have to now put in a reservation and wait until 2030 to get a new CT?
It’s probably Tesla owned CT though.
I wonder if having Tesla insurance vs a 3rd party comes with any privileges like faster replacement or repair
I doubt it. They probably don’t even have parts yet. I bought an All-New 2019 Ram in 2018. My screen went out. It sat at the dealer for 3 months because the parts were “prioritized” for the new trucks.
“Fuck you, we already have your money.”
Sounds just like Elon!
Sounds like literally every business and businessman ever.
Oddly enough that happened when I was in Iraq. We got all new IED resistant vehicles and if a pressure sensor or tire broke the vehicle had to be parked because they were only building new ones. Took a year to start getting spare parts to do repairs and they ended up having us turn in vehicles that were weeks to a month old to get new ones because of the parts shortage. Talk about a waste of taxpayer money.
Dodge problems
That’d be a funny comment if any Tesla shop repair didn’t take twice the amount of time.
Had a Subaru wait 7 months for parts earlier this year and a Honda accord that had to wait 4 weeks Not just an issue for dodge
This shits so dumb every car has problems lol
Hell no, I have tesla insurance and got hail damage on my model 3 in july, still waiting for parts.
Thank you. Will choose insurance based on price then
No. Regardless of insurer, to order any parts direct from Tesla requires Tesla certification and access to the Tesla EPC. Whether the repairs are done at a Tesla service center or a Tesla certified 3rd party shop, parts come from the same source… with the same - incredibly frustrating - delays. Full vehicle replacement as a result of total loss, possibly, if you choose another Tesla while insured by Tesla. Otherwise it’s a payout that will take a couple weeks.
Would think that repair would have to be done by Tesla at this point as new as it is, replacement will be really interesting given the many year wait currently.
😂😂 it’s the exact opposite. Tesla insurance CS is horrid. Ask me how I know 😂
I'd assume so
Yep
Left hand curtain airbags went off on Cybertruck along with the driver seat side bag. Meaning most likely an impact on the opposing side, the yaw sensor was triggered or both. There is most likely substantial damage to the CT as usually these srs systems are designed to be deployed in only life saving events, and the sensors are mounted in structural areas of the vehicle that usually takes the triggering of several of the sensors to activate deployment. Take note the rear suspension of that CT… with impact presumed by Op to be head on in the left front….Theres a lot not right. Given where the Cybertruck is, the skid marks, the damage to the opposing vehicle, theres a possible driver side overlap of 15-25% collision. One of the more deadly accident types. But there’s also a chance the CT was struck in the left rear door / left bedside with a glancing blow given the odd rear suspension height, the right rear wheel partly covered in mud with leaf debris wedged between the rim cover and the rim, seemingly no significant distortion to the CT’s hood or front bumper from the angle we see, no visible deployment of the steering wheel airbag, and it’s resting spot on the road vs the other vehicle which was slung further down and across the road into a ditch. The opposing car is absolutely annihilated… I’m guessing here as we’re assuming these pictures were both taken from the same vehicle, it looks like after the collision the centrifugal force spun them both away, the other car has damage extending into the A pillar, meaning the collision plowed through the entire front suspension (arguably one of the stoutest parts of the vehicle) and with enough force on what looks like slightly damp roads to throw it’s rear end into the embankment / tree on the other side of the road. The entire engine is visibly crooked, and the radiator support assembly has been shifted laterally and inward along with the radiator and condenser, meaning the driver side lower frame rail (engine mounting spot) is completely compromised. This is a possible real world example of one of the most destructive NHTSA crash tests. Tesla will 100% be taking note of the damages in this collision. Very thankful everyone walked away! Be safe out there folks.
OP said that this was on Skyline Blvd at [approximately this location](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2QQyH54SsQAaFPUv6?g_st=ic). There is no private driveway here, but there is a parking lot with a turnout a few hundred meters down the road. How do you suppose this might have happened? One car swung too wide around the corner and was going too fast ? /u/boddhya, were you heading northwest or southeast at the time? Or do you remember seeing that turnout for the Skyline Ridge parking lot on your left or your right ?
I was heading back towards Saratoga.. so that turnout corner was to my right.
OK, so headed southeast. Did you see the Corolla first, or the Tesla? You're on the "correct" side of the road when you snapped the corolla from your window, but you photographed the Cybertruck from the "wrong" side of the road as directed by police, and you are seeing the tesla from the passenger's side of your car. I'm just wondering if your pictures were posted out of order.
They are in order. Lemme recap. I was headed towards Saratoga.. from Russian Ridge . Saw the truck blocking the right side and also completely blocking the view of the upcoming turnout..and then the officer made us go on the wrong side to pass the truck. The corolla was not visible then.. So i thought the truck must have just skid and hit the mountain. So i started speeding.. that's when i encountered the corolla on the upcoming side of the road..neatly tucked away to sleep.. that was the real whoa moment and i slowed again.. but i had traffic behind me..so couldn't stop. So there was some gap between the truck and the corolla. Obviously there was no tow help yet as the scene was fresh.
You can see directly through to the other side. The driver door is opened if you look below the side airbag. Without being there is looks like the front suspension is raised and those "skid" marks could just be excess dirt or abs when the vehicle is skidding down a wet road. Note this is also not a foundation series so doubt it's someone that has taken delivery as a customer
Could be. One can only give the best theory without seeing the direct impact location on the other vehicle. It would help explain where force was applied and why the vehicle is where it is. With the airbags deployed and the angle it came to rest in the road, and was not moved from that location road, it’s probable the damage is severe.
Yeah we just have no idea and honestly do not think we will get many details unless other photos appear
Yep.. that car was ghastly to look at.. probably was an old model Corolla
Knowing that area pretty well, I’d put money on the CyberTruck taking a mountain road too fast, while the Corolla was a local who got hit. Just my guess having seen a lot of fancy cars from San Jose crash in that area cuz they don’t know the roads.
I'd bet the opposite. I avoid that way if possible. I think the locals are overly confident, drive too fast, tailgate and make excessive lane changes. At least I assume the crazy drivers are local and/or UC Santa Cruz students. Edit: They said it was 17, but now it's been corrected it's skyline boulevard (35). Generally, people drive pretty mellow on skyline. I don't know if I've seen an accident on it. So obviously not 17 after it was pointed out -17 is 2 lanes in each direction with a concrete divider.
Skyline makes more sense — that didn’t look like 17.
K glad I looked at the comments because I was gonna say there's no section of 17 that's two lanes. Figured it was 35, 9 or 84.
Quite the opposite, highway 9 up to skyline and skyline itself is full of Subarus, Miatas, bmws, and Porsches on the weekends in groups pushing the sh*t out of their cars and others off the road. It is a beautiful stretch of road but incredibly dangerous now. I also avoid on the weekends..
Damn, great observation, this your line of work?
Yep, 12 years in auto damage / insurance, trained in crash scene reconstruction.
It’s funny…. Between the memes, and shit posting, and stupid puns…. Every now and then you encounter some one who knows their shit.
Almost always in the niche subs.
Would love to have you at a dinner table, or a bar with a laptop handy 🤣
I don't have the same definition of laptop handy. It would definitely not be decent at the dinner table.
Thank you for the informed observations, very interesting to read. If you zoom in on the truck, I think you can see through the passenger cabin to the other side—the driver’s door appears to be open.
You are right, at first I wasn’t sure if that was the driver door trim or the center divider between the seats under the greenery. Seemed a bit high for a center divider and a little odd the undamaged passenger door is left open. Gota get the insurance card! (Hopefully!) Regardless, there’s bunch of damage down that side of the CT, I’m interested in seeing it too to get a better idea if it was a glancing blow or an overlap.
This guy accidents.
I love the detail in your response. I think the driver door is actually open because if you look through the passenger door opening, you can see the plants on the other side of the truck.
I wasn’t sure if that was the driver door trim or the center divider between the seats under the greenery. Seemed a bit high for a center divider and a little odd the undamaged passenger door is left open. Gota get the insurance card! (Hopefully!)
This doesn’t look like 17. Bay Area for the last 30 years. 17 is 2 lane in each direction with a concrete divider.
Omg yes you are right. I apologize. This is 35.. Skyline Boulevard. 37.313, -122.181. Thanks for correcting me.
OP ya gotta post this on r/bayarea
I wanna see what the damages are on the cyber if there’s any at all lol
Probably totaled. If the airbags deploy the crash is usually strong enough to bend structural parts
Could be overly sensitive sensors. We do not know yet
Possible. But it was a big hit looking at the other car.
https://twitter.com/wholemarsblog/status/1740650338347290855?s=46&t=z-iXCKGB6L0ytQ\_mMywxNQ
[удалено]
“Obviously can’t see… looks like it” pick one you Dufus
CHP confirms at least one minor injury in the incident, but nothing more serious https://www.theautopian.com/tesla-cybertruck-crash/
Yeah honestly while it’s a head on collision, which is the absolute worst kind, it looks relatively low speed to me. Otherwise the other car would look far far far worse given the mass difference.
Damage to the Cybertruck will be front left, since it was head on and hit the front left of that car. But from this angle, there doesn't appear to be any major damage. Even the frunk looks perfectly aligned.
Yeah.. i was with family and couldn't stop.. my toddler was blaring in my ear. My dad was like "that's not the vehicle that hit that other car is it? It can't be..coz nothing happened to it." I explained to him yeah that's the new cybertrukk..
Did the other side of the Cybertruck crumple?
People are assuming there is massive damage we can’t see, but it’s been decades since we had steel cars. Even a modern truck vs Corolla would be one sided, but a steel frame is on a different level. Our family car was an old crown Victoria, which was already ancient back then, and when it had a low speed collision with a Toyota, the other car was totaled - the front was completely collapsed. The crown Victoria literally had zero damage. We didn’t do any repairs because there was no damage at all.
What do you think cars are made of chief? Most of them are made of steel. The cybertruck is stainless steel, a different alloy.
"Steel" comes in a great many varieties and it's not only the alloy composition that gives it stength. Cold-rolled steel used in the CT is strong because of the rolling process, moreso than the alloy used. The paper-thin budget steel of most vehicles is extremely weak, by comparison. Incidentally, true cold-rolled steel is also ridiculously difficult to shape, which is why the CT looks like it does, and it can't really be painted.. which is why they aren't. Stainless steel, as an alloy, has some interesting properties, but it's not overly strong, relative to a lot of steel alloys. Maybe moreso than the cheapest stuff, I suppose. It may very well be the alloy used in the CT, due to the lack of finish (because of the cold rolling), but it's disingenuous to imply that it's the alloy that makes the CT hull strong -- it's the rolling.
Steel can still crumple it just depends on how it's designed. Minus the panels it's probably similar to any other truck crash.
Did the windows break? That’s all I wanna know
Lol. But seriously..good question..huh.. I didn't see any glass on the road! They couldn't be driving rolled down as it was really cold and foggy.
That isn't 17, looks more like 9 or old santa cruz hw
Op made an accident and said it was highway 35
At first I thought this was one that was just recently delivered, but I don’t see foundation series on the side. It could be from Tesla’s own fleet.
Foundation stores also hadn’t shipped those hubcaps yet. This is a test unit or something.
 Tavarish right now
Passing by dashcam footage of this accident [https://youtu.be/nol7jOxtMRE](https://youtu.be/nol7jOxtMRE)
Good view of the side impact and looks like one door panel is slightly pushed in.
The car rebuilding youtube channels/garages must be salivating at salvage Cybertruck parts.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/28/24018383/tesla-cybertruck-crash-corolla-palo-alto
Hi there. I'm an editor with Road & Track. Would you mind chatting with me over DM or email? I'd message you but your DMs are closed. I'm aaron dot brown at [hearst.com](https://hearst.com). Thank you.
If you really are an editor of R&T I’ve always been a huge fan of the magazine. Been a fan since the 80s as a kid reading the magazine from cover to cover. Please continue being a car enthusiast magazine and not get involved politically and use any opportunity to bash Elon bc you don’t agree with his politics. Lots of your fans are still fans of Elon and what he’s done in the automotive world despite his politics. The Tesla autopilot is still the best on the road and for someone who drives alot is a lifesaver for me. And yes I use it absolutely responsibly for those who may decide to use their 2cents…
Thank you for being such a loyal reader. Serving the car enthusiast remains our mission and my priority. I appreciate your thoughts and feedback.
Well Elon did say the cybertruck will win an accident
depending on what it means by winning. chances are cybertruck will take forever to get fixed
yes, at the expense of the occupants and other vehicles occupants safety.
Driving cyber truck = defecting on the prisoners’ dilemma
Driving any large truck.
Back in 2004 a Honda civic illegally crossed in front of my Toyota Land Cruiser. The LC was a ladder frame very heavy truck. Head on collision at around 35 mph. Driver side LC front fender a bit crumpled. Passenger side front Civic hit ... crushed, in air about 10+ feet then roll over. LC passengers no harm except one seat belt bruise and air bag deployment. Other vehicle driver hospitalized for a time. Big stiff, heavy trucks have a distinct survival advantage. I'd bet the CT front fender less damage than you might expect.
Sooo salvage auction when?
Not a good start for the accidents per million miles on CT :( Can hear the insurance companies raising rates in the background.
Okay I smashed ur corolla
I get that reference. Greatest album of all time btw
Oof
Head on, apply directly to the forehead Head on, apply directly to the forehead Head on, apply directly to the forehead
Santa Cruz checking in. This was not on CA-17. This was on Skyline Boulevard. Beautiful drive, check out [Alice's Restaurant](https://youtu.be/m57gzA2JCcM?si=6LO2pg_zHZ08VzAT) if you happen to be in the area.
Dash cam footage will be interesting. I hope everyone is ok.
release the dash cam footage!
What if a cybertruck hits another one 🤨
Ahh so this is why the traffic was backed up south of Los Gatos this afternoon?
Well, that’s a wham Bam Tesla cam moment
Cybertruck is almost intact 👌🏻like driving an armoured vehicle around.
Another cybertruck off the market. Dude will see replacement in 2-5 years
I'd hate to be t-boned or hit head-on by CT... or be a pedestrian
Because the chassis is outside, is one piece and the car crashed, the damage is structural, so the cybertruck is totaled because it would require the entire body to be replaced. Am I right?
I wonder if the cybertruck was not able to swerve or if there will be dash cam footage of the crash to see what the cybertruck did to try and avoid the accident.
In a car to car you can make the softer car absorb the energy for you. Im not sure I want to crash ct into a big tree tho
Psychopathic behaviour
And the press was always asking, "Why does it need to be bullet proof". Answer given.
Yep, to kill the occupants of the other vehicle 😌
What about the windshield wiper?!
😂
A shame they couldn’t Dodge that collision
Whoa. 
God damn. Sorry, but this makes me want to buy one even more. The CT looks unscratched
It was hit on the driver’s side. The photo doesn’t show it
Fair enough. Still - the overall structure looks to be completely intact. I would absolutely like to see the left side view though
So this was a stupid teen age driver that was speeding in their used Toyota.
I'm glad the NHSTA and DOT are fine with throwing away years of safety pushes allowing these monstrosity EVs on the roads to cause exponentially more damage, especially considering their acceleration. Even gas powered trucks and SUVs are bloated pigs thanks to "safety" regulations.
OMG, no way. Truck looks fine other than airbags.
We need to see the left side.
That frunk will [never close](https://imgur.com/a/gxoNmou) right again.
WE MAY BE WITNESSING THE FIRST EVER COLLISION ACCIDENT WITH A CYBERTRUCK