Woman Driving Tesla Dies in Fiery FDR Drive Crash
A woman driving a 2020 Tesla sedan died at 2:44 a.m. on the FDR Drive, where police said she hit a guardrail near East 70th Street before both occupants were ejected and fire followed.
What We Know
Around 2:44 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2025, a woman driving a 2020 Tesla sedan was killed on the FDR Drive in Manhattan, and a passenger was injured. Police told news outlets she was traveling north near East 70th or 71st Street when she hit a guardrail; both occupants were ejected, and fire followed. The city crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor, and one witness told WABC, quoted by the Daily News, that the driver was moving “At least 120, 130 [mph].” Early accounts did not fully align: the Post reported that police were still investigating and that speeding was not immediately clear.
Early-morning crash on the FDR
The city crash record places the crash at 2:44 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2025, on the FDR Drive and records one motorist killed and one motorist injured. The listed vehicle was a northbound 2020 Tesla sedan with two occupants.
Police told the Daily News that the woman driving lost control near East 70th Street and hit a guardrail. News reports said both occupants were ejected before fire followed.
Near East 70th Street on the Upper East Side
The official record lists the crash on the FDR Drive in Manhattan. News outlets placed it on the Upper East Side near East 70th Street or 71st Street, with northbound lanes closed for miles during the response.
One driver died; a passenger survived
The woman driving was pronounced dead at the scene. Police were still trying to identify her on the day of the crash.
The passenger, a 26-year-old man, was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. Reports described his condition differently, from expected to recover to stable to serious with burn-unit treatment.
Speed was cited, but early reports did not fully agree
The city crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. The Daily News cited a witness who told WABC the driver was going “At least 120, 130 [mph],” and 1010 WINS reported police said the Tesla was traveling north at a high rate of speed.
The Post’s early account said police were still investigating the cause and that it was not immediately clear if the driver was speeding.
Firefighters and investigators worked through the morning
The Daily News reported that 60 firefighters and an FDNY hazmat team responded to extinguish the lithium-ion battery fire, which police said was out by 3:50 a.m.
1010 WINS reported a debris field about 100 yards long, Sanitation crews cleaning up pieces after daybreak, and police reviewing surveillance video from nearby buildings.