Typically when we hear about Teslas involved in accidents, we often assume the Autopilot system was involved, as there have been many cases to the point where the system the NHTSA has opened an investigation. However, this accident in China is an exception, as it appears it was the actually the Tesla that was the victim.
The first 15 seconds or so of the dashcam footage is just the recording car just going about their business as normal. At about the 20-second mark, though, the dashcam car approaches an intersection, which is where we see the Tesla Model 3 come into frame. Possibly distracted, the driver of the dashcam car then heads out into the intersection while the Tesla is clearly already in the middle of it. This not only results in the Model 3 getting T-boned, but it also sends it through a guardrail and into a river.
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The car had to be hoisted out of the water by crane, and by the looks of it, it suffered a lot of damage. Aside from the inevitable water damage it sustained, the entire passenger side of the vehicle was completely demolished, bodywork, suspension, and all. The recording car also looks to have incurred similar front-end damage. Thankfully though, no one in the Tesla, including the driver’s 10-month-old child, was seriously injured, but Yahoo News reports that the driver’s mother-in-law did suffer a few minor scratches on her knee.
The accident is currently under investigation, but you can watch the incident unfold for yourself in the video below.