Fatal Tesla crash into fire truck was one year ago today

Tuesday, December 29, 2020
A firefighter looks over the wreckage after a Tesla Model 3 plowed into the back of a Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department engine on Dec. 29, 2019.
Courtesy photo

Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of an Interstate 70 crash that killed an Arizona woman and renewed safety concerns over self-driving vehicles.

On Sunday morning, Dec. 29, 2019, a Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department engine was on the scene of an earlier crash at the 38-mile marker when a eastbound 2019 Tesla Model 3 approached the scene.

The sedan ran into the back of the parked truck, with firefighters on the scene reporting that the driver never braked.

Both the driver, 25-year-old Derrick Monet of Prescott Valley, Ariz., and his wife, 23-year-old Jenna Monet, were entrapped and seriously injured in the crash.

Though responders were able to free them both, Jenna Monet later succumbed to her injuries.

No firefighters were in the truck and they were not injured. The fire truck was totaled in the crash.

Though Indiana State Police investigated, it was never publicly released whether the Model 3 was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash, a standard feature on all Teslas.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced in January its intent to probe the accident, along with other recent crashes involving Teslas.

No findings from the NHTSA investigation have been publicly released.

Tesla has said repeatedly its Autopilot system is designed only to assist drivers, who must still pay attention and be ready to intervene at all times. The company contends that Teslas with Autopilot are safer than vehicles without it, but cautions that the system does not prevent all crashes.

Meanwhile, volunteers have scoured the area for the Monets’ lost dog, Milo, who apparently ran from the scene following the crash.

There were reports of Milo being spotted in the area in the days and weeks after the crash.

As recently as early December, possible sightings had been reported on the Facebook group “Lost Pets of Auto Accidents” though the pet has yet to be recovered.

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  • Trust the science.

    -- Posted by concernedcitizen3 on Wed, Dec 30, 2020, at 7:23 AM
  • Most people trust science as long as it fits their narrative.

    -- Posted by beg on Wed, Dec 30, 2020, at 12:32 PM
  • We have a generation of young people who welcome self driving cars so they can concentrate on texting while the car drives itself.

    -- Posted by donantonio on Wed, Dec 30, 2020, at 1:09 PM
  • I am not a young person anymore but I recognize that even with the texting the self driving cars are safer than humans. The problem comes when an irresponsible party modifies the car from its safe configuration.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Wed, Dec 30, 2020, at 1:42 PM
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