— A Tesla Model 3 crash that killed two occupants in Coral Cables, Florida, was caused by the driver traveling 90 miles-per-hour in a 30 mph zone.
That is the conclusion of investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board who studied the September 2021 fatal crash.
Killed in the Coral Gables crash were the driver, Nicholas G. Garcia, 20, and his passenger, 19-year-old Jazmin G. Alcala.
The crash involved a 2021 Tesla Model 3 that was traveling at night in clear dry weather in an area illuminated by streetlights.
According to the NTSB, the car accelerated to 90 mph as it passed another vehicle and ran a red light.
The Tesla Model 3 slammed into bumps in the road which caused sparks from the bottom of the car. The driver lost control, left the road and slammed into two trees in the center median.
The violent high-speed crash caused a fire to engulf the Model 3, with firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze from the destroyed battery pack. According to investigators, the battery cells reignited at least once after the fires were extinguished.
According to the NTSB final report:
"The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the Coral Gables, Florida, crash was the driver’s decision to travel at an excessive speed, which led to the failure of the driver to control his car."
Although the Tesla Model 3 driver was traveling 90 mph in a 30 mph speed zone and never applied the brake pedal, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla by claiming the Model 3 was defective.
To see what was involved in the detailed NTSB investigation of the Tesla Coral Gables crash, click here.
Tesla Model 3 Coral Gables Crash Video