Tesla Model S Wrecked After Slamming Into Bus In California, Did Sun Glare Play A Role?

A white Tesla Model S has been destroyed in a crash after slamming into the rear of a city bus in Newport Beach, California.

The crash occurred on December 11 at approximately 7:25 in the morning local time and no less than 19 firefighters attended the scene. A number of individuals are thought to have been injured and at least one of them was transported to a local hospital.

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Images shared to Facebook by the Newport Beach Fire Department show that the entire front end of the Model S has been destroyed, indicating that it hit the rear of the bus with quite a lot of speed. It appears as though the low bumper of the Tesla hit the underside of the bus’s rear bumper, forcing part of the Model S under the bus and making the front end unrecognizable. The hood has also been severely bent and the windshield has been smashed. All of the car’s airbags were also deployed.

The Newport Beach Fire Department notes that it worked with the Newport Beach Police Department and Orange County Transportation Authority to secure the scene.

So far, there is no indication that the Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot driving system was enabled at the time of the crash. The Newport Beach Fire Department indicated that sun glare may have played a role in the collision.

“When driving in the early morning or late afternoon please take into account the sun glare, slow down and leave more space,” it wrote on social media.