Two families in 'miracle' escape after automatic brakes on their Tesla Model X cars stopped them being crushed to death by a falling tree during Storm Dennis

Laurence Sanderson was driving in Dorset when an oak tree was blown over
It landed on the bonnet of his £86,000 Tesla Model X during Storm Dennis
The tree avoided hitting the roof when the car brought itself to a sudden halt
Another Tesla also stopped just in the nick of time due to automatic brakes

Two families had a miracle escape when the automatic brakes on their Tesla cars stopped them being crushed to death by a falling tree in Storm Dennis

Financial consultant Laurence Sanderson was driving through Dorset in his £86,000 Model X electric saloon when the enormous oak was blown to the ground on February 15, near the village of Sturminster Marshall.

The 400-year-old tree landed on his bonnet, avoiding the roof when the car ground itself to a sudden halt.

Mr Sanderson, from Brentwood in Essex, said that had it not been for the automatic brakes, he and his family would have been 'toast'.


Remarkably, the car travelling in the opposite direction was another Tesla, with the cutting-edge technology also working in the nick of time.

Travelling with Mr Sanderson in the passenger seat was his wife Anna, with his children children Max, 12, Isabella, nine, and Rex, three, in the back.

The family were in Dorset on holiday with the children currently on half-term.

The other Tesla was carrying a family of four - all of whom were also uninjured. Both cars have since been confirmed as write offs.

In the aftermath of the shocking incident both families were taken in by a couple in a nearby house who gave them food and water.

The A31 was blocked in both directions as a result of the tree fall.

Mr Sanderson said: 'My wife's a bit battered and bruised but apart from that we're completely unscathed - it's a miracle.

'We were driving along the A31 and I saw the tree coming down in the blink of an eye. The car slammed the brakes on and the trunk landed on our bonnet.

'Literally another second and we would've been toast. It was huge - the biggest tree I've ever seen.

'The other car had four people in it and they were all okay. The odds of both cars being Teslas is extraordinary.'

He added: 'I'd like to thank the lovely couple who took us all into their house, fed and watered us and played cards with the kids.

'They showed unbelievable kindness as did Gary, the landowner of the site where the tree stood - who was absolutely mortified - and has lent us his car.

'Both cars are totally written off but the main thing is we're all safe. Elon Musk has done us proud.'

The scene was attended Dorset Police, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Western Ambulance Service and Highways England.

The Pre-Collision Assist feature uses camera technology to detect a potential collision with a vehicle or pedestrian directly in front of yours during day or nighttime driving.* It can help reduce the severity of, and in some cases can eliminate, a frontal collision.10 If a potential collision is detected, an alert sound is emitted and a warning message displays in the message center. If your response is not sufficient, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) will precharge and increase brake-assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when you do brake. If you don’t take corrective action and a collision is imminent, brakes can apply automatically.
https://www.ford.com/technology/driver-assist-technology/pre-collision-assist/

Omar Awan was driving his dream car when he lost control. The sleek, blue Model S Tesla careened across a road in South Florida and slammed into a palm tree.

But it wasn’t the crash that killed him, his family’s lawyers said — it was the car’s futuristic design features.

The last moments of Awan’s life were gruesome and excruciating. After the crash, the Tesla’s lithium ion battery caught fire, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit. Smoke — and then flames — filled the car, suffocating Awan and burning him from his feet up. Outside, a crowd gathered but couldn’t help.

That’s because the car’s retractable door handles, which are supposed to “auto-present” when they detect a key fob nearby, malfunctioned and first responders weren’t able to open the doors and save Awan, the suit alleges.

“The fire engulfed the car and burned Dr. Awan beyond recognition — all because the Model S has inaccessible door handles, no other way to open the doors, and an unreasonably dangerous fire risk,” the complaint reads.