Tesla Cybertruck Crashes Into a Pole, Owner Responds with ‘Thank You Tesla’

      A Tesla Cybertruck owner is commending the automaker for the performance of his electric pickup after its Full Self-Driving system drove it into a utility pole in Reno, Nevada. The driver noted that the Cybertruck failed to recognize the end of its travel lane and drove directly into a pedestrian crossing, which was fortunately unoccupied. The owner, using the handle @MrChallinger, took to Elon Musk’s X to express gratitude toward Tesla for the vehicle's performance during the crash, which left him uninjured.

      “So my @Tesla @cybertruck crashed into a curb and then a light post on v13.2.4. Thank you @Tesla for engineering the best passive safety in the world. I walked away without a scratch. It failed to merge out of a lane that was ending (there was no one on my left) and made… pic.twitter.com/vpT4AGz8jZ— Jonathan Challinger (@MrChallinger) February 9, 2025

      “It didn’t merge out of a lane that was ending (there was no one next to me) and didn’t attempt to slow down or turn until it had already hit the curb. Clearly, a big fail on my part,” he stated.

      However, one could argue that the larger failure lies with the “Full” Self-Driving system. According to a response from a user, the incident took place on Stead Boulevard near the Sierra Sage Golf Course in northwest Reno. The Cybertruck was driving north in the far right lane, which merges into the center lane to accommodate a signaled crosswalk. The Cybertruck did not merge and continued driving up onto the curb island, striking the pole.

      “Don’t make the same mistake I did. Stay alert. This can happen. I closely follow Tesla and FSD and hadn’t heard of any accidents on V13 prior to this. It’s easy to get complacent now – don’t,” he cautioned.

      To summarize, this AI-driven system failed to execute a basic merge on a multi-lane road with no other vehicles and managed to hit the only two solid objects in its vicinity—both positioned on a separate curb island designed to separate pedestrians from vehicle traffic. All of this occurred without any intervention from the Cybertruck’s active safety systems.

      Instead of expressing disappointment with Tesla for delivering a malfunctioning vehicle, the driver accepted responsibility for the incident, acknowledging he should have been more attentive. Perhaps the typical Cybertruck owner is too young to recall similar past occurrences, but this is reminiscent of past events...

      Why? Well, MrChallinger is supportive of Tesla, and you have to stand by your team, right?

      “@Tesla_AI how can I ensure you receive the necessary data from this incident? The service center has been unresponsive. I do have dashcam footage and want to share it as a PSA that this can happen, even on v13, though I'm reluctant because I don’t want the attention or to provide critics any fodder.”

      According to the owner, the Tesla was operating with Full Self-Driving build v13.2.4 during the crash. MrChallinger acknowledged the company for “engineering the best passive safety in the world,” but what stands out is how effectively Tesla has cultivated its owner base into unpaid advocates. Please, let’s not forget about the investors!

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