GROVELAND, Fla. — Homeowners in a Groveland neighborhood are figuring out their next steps after a Tesla crashed through several backyards before going up in flames last week.
The fiery crash happened in the Cypress Oaks neighborhood, WKMG-TV reports. The Tesla landed in a screened-in porch of one home after crashing through two fences when sparks started to fly.
The driver of the Tesla was taken to the hospital and later released, a spokesperson for Groveland police said. That person was not identified. A neighbor told us, miraculously, no one else was hurt.
As far as fixing up the home, one woman, Kelsey Hotchkiss, told 10 Tampa Bay their insurance won't cover the cost because the driver rented the car through Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing company, with a stolen credit card and he was also an uninsured driver. It would fall under "fraudulent renting," therefore the owner of the car is not responsible, she said she was told.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to Turo to get more insight on their side. The company released the following statement regarding the crash in Groveland.
"We are deeply troubled by the incident involving a host’s vehicle in Groveland. We take trust and safety very seriously and have robust check-in guidelines in place to protect our community, including requiring our hosts to verify drivers' licenses upon vehicle pick-up. We acted swiftly to assist the affected parties, enhance the guest’s account security, and cover the host’s costs," the statement reads.
"As the suspect was not a verified Turo guest, this incident is not covered by our protection packages, and the suspect would be held accountable for any third-party damage. Our dedicated team is working tirelessly to support those affected and resolve this matter as quickly as possible."
Photos of the car show the Tesla completely destroyed and missing almost the entire front side of the car.
The crash is under investigation.
