Woman injured, driver flees after Tesla burns to its frame on St. Clair County highway
A woman was injured and a black Tesla burned to its frame when the vehicle struck a Brooklyn fire hydrant at a high rate of speed Monday morning, police said.
The driver, a male, exited the burning electric vehicle and fled on foot as his female passenger, whose name police have not provided, was transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis complaining of chest pains. Her condition was not immediately known, said Brooklyn Police Chief Thomas Jeffrey said.
The incident occurred at 4:30 a.m. at Illinois 3 and Jefferson Street. Police had not located the driver as of Monday evening. The car had Missouri dealer plates, he said.
“Witnesses at the scene told police the driver and the injured female were heavily intoxicated,” Jeffrey said, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Brooklyn Deputy Fire Chief Mike Calhoun said the car “snapped the hydrant at the stem.”
“It was a clean break,” he said. “There was no water.”
Calhoun said when fire crews from Brooklyn arrived on scene Venice firefighters providing mutual aid, had already started putting the fire out.
“There was still some fire blowing under the engine computer on the passenger side of the vehicle,” said Calhoun. “It was challenging. It took a couple of hours, at least, to get the fire out.”
He said crews worked from 4:30 to about 7 a.m.
