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A video of a Tesla Model Y electric car speeding across the streets of a province in Guangdong, China, has gone viral after it left two innocent citizens dead and three with serious injuries
According to Reuters, the incident happened on 5 November, and the crash has been the top trending topic on Chinese social media platform, Weibo, since Sunday, 13 November.
The viral video shows a series of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the white Tesla attempting to park at the side of a street before suddenly speeding off on the two-lane road, weaving through traffic, apparently unable to stop or slow down.
It narrowly misses a number of pedestrians, knocks down a cyclist, runs over a motorcyclist, and destroys a small transport vehicle before skidding and crashing to a stop into a building.
The car was out of control for 30 seconds over 2.6km, reported Electrek.
Image via ???? (YouTube)
Local media quoted a family member of the 55-year-old driver as saying that he had issues with the brake pedal when he was about to pull over in front of his family store
However, according to Bloomberg, Tesla said the video showed that the car’s brake lights were not on while it was speeding, and claimed the vehicle logs show that the brake pedal was not applied during the whole ordeal.
The car manufacturer said that the accelerator was, instead, heavily engaged in the lead up to the accident.
Image via ???? (YouTube)
Nonetheless, billionaire Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company said it will be assisting Chinese police in investigating the crash
“Police are currently seeking a third-party appraisal agency to identify the truth behind this accident and we will actively provide any necessary assistance,” Tesla told Reuters on Sunday, cautioning social media users not to believe rumours.
China is the second-largest market for Tesla, and the company has faced previous claims of brake failure.
You can watch the viral CCTV footage here:
The footage may be disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.