Philippines: Tesla driver faces backlash after road rage, hit-and-run incident
Law enforcers summon driver who faced backlash after hitting motorcycle driver
Manila: Law enforcement officers are looking for the driver of a blue Tesla Model Y with a "for registration" car plate here after what appers to be a road-rage-cum-hit-and-run incident involving a motorcycle rider.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) recently summoned the driver of the electric vehicle who fled the scene after striking and dragging a motorcycle passenger near Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna, about 50km south of Manila, on September 25, 2024.
Tesla vehicles are fitted with a number of cameras, and are equipped with “full self-driving” software that programmed to do better than human drivers and avoid accidents.
Show-cause order
A now-viral video posted by motoring news site VISOR captured the incident, prompting the LTO to issue a “show cause” order against the blue Tesla Model Y driver.
The footage shows a Yamaha Sight motorcycle stopping in front of the crossover EV on the road near a security station in Nuvali, a 2,500-hectare mixed-use development that straddles the cities of Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao and Calamba in Laguna.
When one of the motorcycle passengers approached the Tesla, the vehicle accelerated, striking the individual.
Despite attempts by the motorcycle driver to pursue the Tesla, the electric car managed to escape.
According to VISOR, the Tesla had been repeatedly cutting off the motorcycle prior to the altercation.
LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II confirmed the incident and ordered an investigation, based on a police report obtained from the Santa Rosa Component City Police Station in Laguna province, south of Manila.
The LTO-Calabarzon Director, Elmer Decena, signed the sho- cause order, stating that the police had determined the vehicle owner was driving at the time of the incident.
The Tesla driver will now face charges under Article V, Section 48 of Republic Act No. 4136, the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
They have been given five days to provide a satisfactory explanation – or face disciplinary action.
Tesla has started fitting out its first store in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a Manila suburb, after job listings in the country were recently spotted.