Tesla driver killed in highway crash after vehicle breaks down in center lane of I-70
Update: Police on Monday identified the driver killed in the crash as 74-year-old Terry L. Siegel of Lake Winnebago.
The driver of a Tesla was killed and a passenger injured after two vehicles collided with the car, which broke down Sunday night on Interstate 70 in Independence, a police spokesman said.
The fatal crash occurred about 8:15 p.m. Sunday on westbound Interstate 70 just west of Little Blue Parkway.
The Tesla was headed west on I-70 when it broke down in the center lane. The initial investigation indicates that a mechanical unit caused the car to lose power and stop on the highway, said Sgt. Steven Boles with the Independence Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
The drivers of the two other vehicles were unable to stop in time and struck the disabled car, Boles said.
The driver of the Tesla was pronounced dead at the scene and the passenger was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries.
The drivers and passengers of the two other vehicles, which were not identified, were not injured. It appears everyone was wearing a seat belt, Boles said. No impairment is suspected.
The crash remains under investigation.
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 8:26 AM.
