Video of Tesla crash provided by Ethan Garabedian, car event organizer and owner of 9burgring Newly released video shows a Tesla accelerating to more than 80 mph along Highway 84 in La Honda before losing control, crossing double solid yellow lines and slamming head-on into another car. The A ug. 30 collision happened as a Cars and Coffee event organized by 9burgring was wrapping up nearby. The company’s owner, Ethan Garabedian, released the footage as residents and county leaders question whether the gathering should have been held along a road already known for dangerous driving. Garabedian argues that one driver’s reckless actions—not his event—are responsible for the collision. “We don’t condone any recklessness—or donuts, burnouts, revving, anything,” Garabedian said. “We’re here to have a safe event.” Garabedian said the video was recorded on a cellphone by one of two photographers he hired to cover the event. According to Garabedian, the photographers were offered a test ride in the Tesla as the gathering was ending. He also said the driver may not have known that the photographer was recording from the backseat of the Tesla. Garabedian said Tesla participated as a vendor at the event and that a company representative was behind the wheel when the Tesla crashed. Tesla did not respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment or clarify whether the driver was working for the company at the time. The video shows the Tesla accelerating along the winding highway, passing through a construction zone and at one point reaching more than 80 mph. A warning chime can be heard as the speedometer approaches 85 mph. The posted speed limit along that section of the highway ranges from 35 to 40 mph. Ethan Garabedian showing Tesla crash video to investigative reporter Hilda Gutierrez The Tesla can be seen swerving through a series of mountain curves before the driver appears to lose control, cross the center lines and collide head-on with a Honda traveling in the opposite direction. The California Highway Patrol, which is still investigating the accident, identified the Tesla driver as a 21-year-old man who crossed into oncoming traffic. The Honda’s driver, a 70-year-old woman, suffered major injuries and at least two of the Tesla’s passengers were also taken to the hospital. CHP has not made a final determination about fault. Garabedian said the gathering was intended to promote the Ambassador Wine Garden and bring car enthusiasts together. He said the winery’s owner reached out to his company and asked him to organize it. Ambassador Wine Garden did not respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment. Garabedian said his organization has faced significant backlash since the crash. “If Tesla isn’t willing to address our claims and come forward and explain their liability in this—and they allow us to absorb all of the backlash—I don’t have an issue correcting that record by showing people the evidence and letting them draw their own conclusions,” Garabedian said. San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller said the event should not have happened in the first place, citing traffic safety concerns on that stretch of Highways 84.   Mueller, who stopped by the event, said his office tried to discourage the organizer from holding it there and warned that inviting car enthusiasts to the area could create additional risks. “The roads curve with the natural contours of the land,” Mueller said. “And it really creates what the car clubs think is like a Le Mans-style racetrack.” Mueller said residents and business owners along the mountain highways have long shared concerns about speeding and reckless driving in the area. At his request, Mueller said law enforcement was present at the Cars and Coffee event.     San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller showing highway design to investigative reporter Hilda Gutierrez “We had the California Highway Patrol there. We had the Sheriff’s Department there,” Mueller said. “My liaison and community members actually went to the event with flyers and handed them out to people—with that safety data on it—saying, ‘Don’t drive recklessly.’” Mueller said first responders who are dispatched to these crashes are often volunteer firefighters and emergency responders who also live in the communities they serve. They are among the first to see the wreckage, injuries and deaths caused by high-speed collisions. California Highway Patrol crash data accessed through UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System found that, over the past five years, 21 people were killed and 792 were injured along highways 84, 35, and 9 in San Mateo County. Highway 84 and 35 signs next to a ghost bicycle in Woodside, CA According to Mueller, the county has made road improvements, increased enforcement and formed a traffic advisory committee to address the traffic safety issues. His message to car clubs is clear. “Stop treating our roads as a racetrack. Stop coming. Go somewhere else,” Mueller said. “If you want to do racetrack driving, you can pay somewhere to do it. But you are literally killing and injuring my residents.” And to Tesla, if their driver is responsible for the crash.   “Train your drivers better, this is just unacceptable”, said Mueller. San Mateo County is also exploring whether La Honda and neighboring communities could be added to California’s speed-camera pilot program. In the meantime, Mueller said he expects the county to approve funding for an additional CHP patrol focused on highways 84 and 35 during weekends, when residents say speeding and high-performance driving are most common. ...read more read less