Thursday night, reports of a brutal Tesla vehicle crashing into the Embarcadero were posted on the community awareness app Nextdoor and by users on X.
A crumpled and crushed Tesla Model Y vehicle was filmed and photographed after having collided with an SFMTA barrier at the intersection of Washington Street and The Embarcadero sometime late Thursday night; user FriscoLive415 on X began a live stream around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13th, but it appears the crash happened earlier.
First responders were seen closing off the intersection while crews contended with the wreckage. The Tesla Model Y involved in the crash was utterly and completely destroyed, scrunched like a soda can under a heavy foot with multiple airbags deployed and its front suspension effectively ripped from its frame. The black electric vehicle appeared to have collided with parts of the Embarcadero and Washington Street station, destroying the railing work and glass paneling. Based on the state of the destruction caused to the transit stop, it appears the car was traveling at high speeds.
Traffic and public transit delays were noted. No official report from SFPD or SFMTA has been released as of publishing, but we expect more details to emerge about the accident later this morning.
FriscoLive415 noted that no injuries were allegedly reported, but that remains an anecdotal account. Regardless … the fact that anyone could walk away from that crash is remarkable. It’s unclear if any driver-assist or self-driving technologies were engaged by the Tesla driver before the crash.
During the livestream by FriscoLive415, one of SF’s historic streetcars — trains first introduced in 1962 along the Embarcadero, with many still in operation today — is seen passing south, the ostensibly new (and “everything’s computer”) Tesla vehicle’s wreckage in the foreground. It’s an all too ironic occurrence.
Earlier Thursday, before the horrific Tesla crash, San Francisco Fire Department crews responded to a 1-alarm fire at 4:05 a.m. at Pier 28. The fire was quickly extinguished and traffic on both sides of the pier was reopened.
Feature image and body images: Courtesy of screenshots via X [at]FriscoLive415
Looks like Broadway and Embarcadero.