Drunk driver pulled out of Tesla before car consumed by fire

A drunk driver was pulled out of a Tesla by passersby before the car went up in flames, following a single-vehicle crash in New Taipei City in the early hours of this morning, Sunday, March 27.

The 53-year-old driver, named Lee, is believed to have lost control of the vehicle in rainy conditions at the intersection of Wenshan Road and Xinguang Road in Shenkeng District at around 4:00 am. According to the investigation the car hit a traffic island and flipped onto its side before catching fire.

By the time firefighters and police arrived, Lee had been pulled out of the vehicle by people who witnessed the accident, and the Tesla Model X was completely engulfed in flames.

Lee was rushed to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A blood test showed that Lee had a blood alcohol level of 0.7 mg/l, almost three times the legal limit of 0.25 mg/l. Xindian Police Bureau said that Lee will be handed over to the District Prosecutor to face charges of endangering the public after he is released from the hospital.

The Tesla was completely consumed and destroyed by the fire. New Taipei City Fire Department said that due to the lithium batteries catching fire, it took around half an hour and 20 tons of water to extinguish the fire.

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