A man in California is facing attempted murder and child abuse charges after intentionally driving his Tesla off a cliff this week. But while the general public reacted in horror to the incident, some Tesla fanboys used the tragedy to praise the self-driving vehicle.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed on Tuesday that Pasadena resident Dharmesh A. Patel purposely plunged his vehicle off of a 250-foot drop while another adult and two children were inside.
He has been charged with attempted murder as, astonishingly, all occupants survived despite the vehicle rolling multiple times to the bottom of the cliff.
In response, Tesla's most vocal supporters seemingly saw the incident as a chance to praise their favorite vehicle.
Sports columnist Bill Speros argued that the two children who endured the traumatizing experience only survived thanks to the genius of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
"Those kids owe their lives to @elonmusk," he tweeted.
Another adamant supporter of Tesla and Musk likewise highlighted the tragedy as yet another reason why everyone should own one of the company's vehicles.
"This is why I drive a @Tesla — safest cars imaginable," wrote Musk sychophant Jason Calacanis.
While the survival of everyone inside is undoubtedly miraculous, many seemed to feel that the praise was not only bizarre but also over-the-top due to the circumstances.
"Is Elon under the car? Did he shield their fall?" one user sarcastically asked in response to the praise.
"Using a failed suicide attempt to bring back the tanking stock price," another morbidly added.
At current, investigators say they have not determined what driving mode the Tesla was in during the crash, although that factor does not appear to have contributed to the accident.
Patel is currently being held at the San Mateo County Jail following a short stay at the hospital.
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