Fatal Tesla Crash On The Palisades Parkway

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The driver of a white Tesla with New Jersey plates died in a fiery crash that closed the Palisades Parkway Saturday for hours.

State Police are asking anyone who may have been a witness to the crash or observed the vehicle before the crash to contact Investigator Eric Haydt at the Haverstraw Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at 845-364-9424.

State police responded at 11:20 a.m. from the Haverstraw and Monroe barracks. Emergency responders including from Nanuet, New City and Spring Valley also responded.

Nanuet fire officials said their first arriving responders confirmed that a Tesla Model S was in fact fully engulfed in flames.

The Tesla’s sole source of power is the 375 volt lithium-ion battery, which spans the entire length and width of the floor of the car, they said. The battery had ruptured, resulting in a thermal runaway reaction, which made the fire extremely difficult to extinguish, fire officials said.

Units from neighboring New City and Spring Valley FD were requested for additional manpower and water resources. After multiple water tanks carrying 1,000 gallons each were deluged; the vehicle was deemed “under control” roughly two hours later.

There was one occupant in the vehicle, who was declared dead at the scene. State police said according to their preliminary investigation, the cause of the crash appears to be weather-related.

Traffic was diverted for several hours between exits 9 and 10 during investigation and cleanup.