A Tesla Model Y kept moving safely after a rare event during a late-night drive in South Australia. Andrew Melville-Smith and his wife were on Augusta Highway at night on October 19. The car was using Full Self-Driving mode. Suddenly, a loud smash broke the windshield. Glass flew across the inside of the car, and smoke filled the cabin. The cracked windshield stayed warm. Andrew said, “Then there was, (what) I can only describe as a very, very violent explosion. The whole inside of the car was literally blasted with glass fragments. It was full of white smoke, and it smelled like the car was on fire”.
Both passengers were shocked and unable to react for a few seconds. Still, the Tesla’s FSD system kept driving. Andrew checked the screen and saw the car was heading toward Port Augusta like normal. He explained, “We were moving around, so it obviously thought we were paying attention, and it was happy to keep driving.” He said the crash came from nowhere, with no warning or chance to react.
Was it a meteorite?
After they stopped, Andrew called the South Australian Museum. The windshield was not broken like from a rock or bullet. The glass was melted. Dr. Kieran Meaney said, “The little detail that’s really selling it for me at the moment is that whatever it was that hit the windscreen seems to have been very hot.” The museum is looking for more evidence and believes a meteorite is possible.
Not everyone is sure a meteorite caused this. Professor Jonathan Horner pointed out that people didn’t see a bright fireball in the sky before the strike, which sometimes happens with meteorites. He said, “Minutes before this rock struck the car, there should have been a visible fireball in the sky, at least as bright as a full moon, if not brighter.”
If the object is a meteorite, this would be the first known time a moving car was hit in this way. The odds are extremely low, and Andrew said, “I’d have a better chance of winning the lottery, considering how rare this is.” Past meteorites have hit parked cars, but never a moving vehicle at highway speed.
Tesla’s system and emergency safety
Andrew thanked the car’s Full Self-Driving system for keeping the car steady during the shock. The vehicle did not stop or leave the road while both riders were distracted. Tesla had recently updated its FSD software. Tesla says its systems are safer than average driving.
The museum is still checking the windshield and nearby area for more proof. Scientists are interested in the case, hoping to learn about meteorite risks when people are driving at night. The results may help with road safety in the future.
You can watch the video of the incident here.
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