A traffic mess on busy I-495 started when a Tesla driver tried to pass other vehicles, clipped a truck and wound up causing an SUV to flip into traffic on the other side of the Delaware interstate Tuesday morning.
That's according to Delaware State Police, which released preliminary information on the highway pileup that left at least one driver hurt midday on Oct. 29, 2024.
Chain-reaction I-495 crash leaves SUV, Tesla and trucks damaged
The crash started in the southbound direction when a 45-year-old Upper Darby man driving a 2021 black Tesla Model Y in the right lane attempted to pass a 2025 Freightliner tractor-trailer in the middle lane and a 2019 blue Chevrolet Equinox in the left lane, police said.
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"Due to reasons under investigation, the Tesla lost control as it attempted to overtake a vehicle in the right lane by using the off-ramp from 12th Street," state police said. "As a result, the Tesla struck the right side of the Freightliner. The left side of the Freightliner then struck the right side of the Equinox."
The impact caused the Equinox to go over the concrete median and across northbound traffic, police said.
The out-of-control Chevy SUV then struck a 2021 Ford F-150XLT pickup truck in the right northbound lane, investigators said. The force of impact caused the Ford pickup truck to flip onto its side and slide across the other northbound lanes.
Transportation and Transit
The only injury police reported was to the Equinox driver who suffered minor injuries.
A traffic mess during the morning commute
One wreck closed northbound Interstate 495 just past Terminal Avenue in New Castle County around 6:30 a.m., according to DelDOT. The other wreck blocked two lanes of southbound I-495 at the Christina River Bridge. The scenes are adjacent to each other.
Northbound traffic was being diverted at Terminal Avenue. Southbound traffic was slowly getting by as SkyForce10 hovered overhead as vehicles were loaded onto tow trucks.
Both crashes no longer appeared on DelDOT's travel advisory page as of 8:40 a.m.
No charges were immediately filed as troopers continued to investigate the wreck.
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