A Tesla driver behind the wheel of the firm's fastest car lost control of it while speeding and went airborne into the home of a Florida grandma, killing her.
The unnamed driver, 43, was speeding in his 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Friday when he failed to stop at a stop sign in Palm Harbor, Florida.
His Tesla then struck an embarkment, causing him to lose control, go airborne and crash into a home, IONTB.com reported.
The Tesla penetrated the back walls and struck 69-year-old Donna Rein, one of the three residents present at the home. Rein lived at the property with her daughter, and two special needs grandchildren, who she acted as a carer for.
69-year-old Donna Rein ( pictured) was struck and killed by the out of control Tesla when it struck her home
All that remained of the Tesla after the deadly accident that left two people dead and three seriously injured
Police say the Tesla penetrated the back walls of a Palm Harbor home and killed one of the three residents in the home
At the time of the crash the driver had three passengers in the vehicle, including a 43 year-old Odessa man who died from his injuries, IONTB.com reported.
The driver and his two other passengers, a 48 year-old man from Aurora, Colorado and a 28 year-old man from New Port Richey, were all seriously injured in the crash.
Firefighters at the scene had to extract passengers from the vehicle.
Police said one of the passengers was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital while the other two were transported to local hospitals to be treated.
The driver was behind the wheel of the 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid, an electric sedan that claims to have high impact protection and automatic emergency braking, according to the company website.
The driver was behind the wheel of the 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid, an electric sedan that claims to have high impact protection and automatic emergency braking
A GoFundMe was set up for Rein (pictured right) on Saturday, described as a beloved mother and grandmother, to help her family rebuild their destroyed home
While the vehicle has an autopilot feature that allows the car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically, police confirmed the Tesla was not on autopilot mode at the time of the crash.
Video of the crash site shows emergency crew assessing the scene as parts of the vehicle scattered all over the lawn and the car is lodged into the back of the home.
The Model S Plaid was unveiled earlier this year, and can travel from 0-60mph in just 1.99 seconds. It's top speed is limited to 163mph, but the car can hit 200mph if drivers buy a special set of wheels and tires.
It costs $130,000 - $50,000 more than the other Model S trim levels.
Tesla is currently being probed by the US government over separate crashes in the US involving its autopilot system, although investigators have suggested that Friday's fatal smash in Florida was caused by speed.
The latest happened last Sunday and saw a Model 3 slam into a parked Florida Highway Patrol car in Orlando that was attending to a broken down car.
No-one was seriously injured, but a similar smash in Indiana in February 2019 saw Jenna Monet killed.
All smashes involved Teslas set to autopilot slamming into emergency responder vehicles.
Investigators think the sensors which are used by the car's autopilot feature may get confused by flashing lights, flares, cones or reflective strips stuck to cars or on clothing worn by emergency responders.
A GoFundMe was set up for Rein on Saturday, described as a beloved mother and grandmother, to help her family rebuild their destroyed home.
'On Friday, September 3rd, the Rein family lost their beloved mother and grandmother, Donna to a tragic accident that involved a car crashing into their home. The home and their lives are completely destroyed.' the fundraiser said.
'Donna was the main caregiver for her daughter Lindsey and her two special needs grandchildren who were always by their grandmothers side,' the fundraiser added. 'Lindsey and her daughters have no home and need somewhere to live.'
