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Tesla crash at BC Ferries terminal deemed driver error

The crash caused an estimated $30,000 worth of damage to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.
tesla-crash-ferries
This Tesla broke apart following a one-vehicle crash at the BC Ferries terminal at Horseshoe Bay on Jan. 14, 2023.

Police have determined driver error was the cause of a Tesla that crashed into the Horseshoe Bay BC Ferries terminal last January.

“Following an analysis of the vehicle data, the investigators determined the collision to be human-caused,” said West Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Mark McLean.

The driver, a 68-year-old Vancouver man, was issued a ticket for driving without due care and attention under the Motor Vehicle Act, McLean said.

McLean said at the time of the collision the estimated damage to the ferry structure was over $30,000; on Friday, BC Ferries would only say that the damage was “in the thousands.”

Police described the car as having “suddenly accelerated” into the terminal on Jan. 14, leading to speculation as to what occurred.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall said the incident occurred at a closed gate at one of the berths. Paramedics arrived at the scene and took the passengers to the hospital, she said.

In January 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded an investigation of sudden accelerations of Tesla vehicles, finding driver error to be the source.

“More than 200 incidents involving Teslas unexpectedly accelerating and crashing were the fault of drivers confusing their brake and accelerator pedals, not a defect with the electric vehicles,” reported the Washington Post.

gwood@glaciermedia.ca