Tesla Model 3 drove onto active train tracks and was hit by a train. The driver of the car claimed that the vehicle was in “self-driving mode” when the incident occurred. Fortunately, all passengers were able to escape safely before the crash.
The incident happened near South Hull Street and Columbia Avenue in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. According to local emergency responders, the Tesla drove around a lowered train barrier and continued about 40 to 50 feet down the tracks before getting stuck.
“We’ve had accidents involving Teslas before, but nobody has ever told us that the car was in self-drive mode when it happened,” said Western Berks Fire Commissioner Jared Renshaw. He confirmed that the Tesla was operating in its driver-assist feature when it made the wrong turn onto the train tracks.
Officials have not named the driver. The driver claimed the car was in Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” mode when it made the turn. A report by WFMZ News stated that the three people inside the car safely exited the vehicle and removed their belongings before the train arrived. A train traveling on an adjacent set of tracks struck the Tesla shortly afterward, damaging the car’s side mirror but causing no further visible damage.
Emergency services, including fire crews and towing experts, were quick to respond. Due to concerns that moving the car on a flatbed truck could trigger a battery fire, crews brought in a crane to lift the Tesla off the tracks safely. Spitler’s Garage & Towing carried out the operation. The company also shared images of the incident on social media.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software, often called FSD, is a controversial driver-assistance system. Tesla claims all cars made since 2016 are capable of fully autonomous driving through software updates. However, this feature still requires driver supervision. In reality, regulators consider the FSD feature only a Level 2 driver-assistance system. This means the driver must remain alert and in control at all times.
According to the Commissioner, the Tesla “went down the tracks approximately 40-50 feet. They all exited the vehicle, got their belongings out.” He added that they immediately stopped all train traffic in the area for safety reasons while crews performed the recovery.
The incident comes at a time when CEO Elon Musk has long promoted Tesla’s self-driving technology as safer than human drivers. However, recent safety reviews tell a different story. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently investigated nearly 500 crashes involving Tesla vehicles using self-driving features. Thirteen of those crashes resulted in deaths.
The NHTSA also reported that in over 45 percent of those cases, the Tesla crashed into another vehicle or obstacle. In these situations, an alert human driver could have taken action to avoid the accident. In another 31 percent of the crashes, Teslas lost control on wet or slippery roads, sliding off the roadway.
The report from the NHTSA showed that drivers often place too much trust in Tesla’s driver-assist features. While the technology may give the feeling of full autonomy, it doesn’t guarantee safe or accurate decision-making in complex road situations. “Autopilot controls did not sufficiently ensure driver attention and appropriate use,” the NHTSA concluded.
For now, the passengers in the Pennsylvania incident were lucky. The car suffered minimal damage, and nobody was hurt. But many are asking an important question: if this is the future of driving, is it safe enough for the rest of us?
