Little Silver Man Charged With DWI After His Tesla Crashes

LITTLE SILVER, NJ — A Little Silver man was charged with DWI after his Tesla hit a New Jersey Natural Gas truck Sunday night, causing the truck to overturn and its propane tank to rupture, said police.

This happened Sunday evening in South Toms River, said police: John W. Gorechlad, 47, of Little Silver, was driving north on Tilton Avenue in a Tesla when the car ran the stop sign at Dover Road.

His Tesla hit the rear driver's side of the truck, said South Toms River Police Chief William Kosh.

It was not known whether Gorechlad was controlling the car or had it in self-driving mode, Police Chief Kosh said.

However, the impact of the collision caused the truck to turn on its side and caused a propane tank on board to rupture, Kosh said. You can see photos of the crash scene here: https://ocscanner.news/2021/11...

The truck driver, a 52-year-old Toms River man, was able to escape the truck, now leaking propane gas but not on fire, through its windshield with the help of Officers Tess Martin and Jaden Kosh. He was taken to Community Medical Center for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening, the chief said. Subscribe to Patch: https://patch.com/subscribe

Gorechlad walked away from the crash and was found just down the road at the Wawa on Dover Road, where he was arrested, Kosh said.

Gorechlad was charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, failure to stop, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. He was released pending a future court date.

Earlier this year, a woman who was six months pregnant, with her toddler child, said she was nearly hit by a self-driving Tesla in the parking lot of the Red Bank Sickles grocery market: Monmouth Co. Mom, Toddler 'Nearly Hit' By Driverless Vehicle

In 2019, a Tesla on autopilot abruptly drove off a Rt. 1 exit ramp onto the grass and crashed into two traffic sign supports in North Brunswick. The driver was uninjured, but he told police at the time he was completely unable to control the car and that the steering wheel "locked." He thinks the Tesla's computer became confused or overwhelmed by all the off ramps and different roads in that particular area. Read that story: Self-Driving Tesla Crashes On Rt. 1 In North Brunswick: Police

Also in 2019, a 40-year-old Navy SEAL was watching a Harry Potter movie while his car was driving on autopilot. The Tesla's technology failed to detect the side of a tractor-trailer and the man died. In 2018, a California man was killed while his vehicle was on autopilot.

Reporting by Karen Wall/Toms River Patch Contact the Little Silver-Middletown Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com