A Tesla Model Y was involved in what could only be described as a freak accident in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The incident resulted in the death of a person and injuries to another two. The driver of the all-electric crossover was able to walk away from the accident without any injuries.
At around 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Fort Lauderdale Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the Southeast Third Avenue Bridge. Authorities saw a shocking scene. A Tesla Model Y and a minivan were damaged by a part of a crane that collapsed onto the bridge. The bridge itself had an apparent hole, seemingly from the falling crane.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan explained the incident in a comment. “It is my understanding from the construction company that they were doing a process at the time called stepping the crane. It was not the crane that failed; it was a platform that they had equipment staged on that had failed at the time of the incident,” he said.
A construction worker who was at the crane tragically lost his life, and a man and woman were transported to Broward Health Medical Center following the incident. A witness who lives in a building in front of the construction site shared his experience with 7News, stating that the part of the crane actually fell into the Tesla first. The part then bounced off the all-electric crossover and landed on the minivan.
“The big crane was falling down, and it looked like when it hit the bridge, it broke in part. There is a portion of the crane near the construction site, and the other one that hit the bridge bounced off the Tesla and then bounced up and hit the van. We drive this every day, so it’s a pretty scary thing to think,” the man noted.
Mark Cerezin, the driver of the Model Y, stated that he was fortunate enough to brake when he did. The impact with the part of the crane completely destroyed the front of the Model Y, but the vehicle’s cabin was otherwise undamaged.
Tesla driver talks about surviving Fort Lauderdale crane landing on his car. pic.twitter.com/ZcLTiMXu9p
— Drone Cleaning LLC DOUGLAS THRON (@douglasthron777) April 4, 2024
“It was just an instinct. It was just a reaction, peripheral reaction, slamming on the brakes. I have a Tesla, it’s all glass on top, so I saw here coming down, and that’s when I gauged, I guess, by a split second. Had I not slammed as hard as I had with my foot, I’m not here speaking to you. It hit the front of my car. It was like slow motion. And then I just saw the front of my car just disappeared. Just, like, sliced it. Then that piece of metal bounced in the air and then went to the right and landed on another car,” he said.
Video that was obtained by 7News reportedly showed Cerezin helping the woman driving the minivan, who was injured in the incident. Images taken at the aftermath of the freak accident showed that the A-pillar in the minivan collapsed due to the impact of the falling crane. As per the Model Y driver, he took off his shirt so he could put compression on her injuries.
“There was a lady that was bleeding, and I took off my shirt and put compression and helped her,” Cerezin said, adding that he feels grateful that he escaped any injuries due to the incident. “From, of course, this day forward, I’m just happy to go home to my wife. I’m happy to go home to my family and to my friends. I’m just so grateful,” Cerezin noted as he was placed on a stretcher. He later shared similar sentiments in a video posted on social media.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
