By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — A 53-year-old driver surnamed Kuo (郭) lost control of his Tesla near Guanghua Night Market (光華夜市) on the evening of Aug. 7, crashing into electrical transformers and hitting 13 vehicles, leaving three people injured and causing a blackout for 600 households, according to Lingya District (苓雅區) police.
UDN vidoe HERE.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. at the intersection of Guanghua 1st Rd. (光華一路) and Sanduo 2nd Rd. (三多二路). Reports said the Tesla suddenly accelerated, striking a roadside electrical transformer before colliding with two motorbikes and a passenger car stopped at a red light. The vehicle then struck an illegally parked Mercedes-Benz, bringing the Tesla to a halt after damaging a total of two cars, 10 motorbikes, and one bicycle.
Paramedics treated three injured individuals at the scene: a 34-year-old woman surnamed Wu (吳), a 44-year-old woman surnamed Liao (廖), and a 64-year-old man surnamed Peng (彭). Liao suffered injuries after becoming pinned beneath one of the damaged transformers. All three victims were transported to local hospitals for medical care.
The impact destroyed two power transformers, resulting in a power outage affecting 600 households across parts of Lingya District and neighboring Cianjhen District (前鎮區). Emergency repair crews from Taiwan Power Co. (台電) were dispatched to the site, restoring electricity around 11 p.m. that evening.
Police administered breathalyzer and drug tests to Kuo, both of which returned negative results. Kuo told investigators that the collision was caused by a mechanical failure in his vehicle. The Kaohsiung City Police Department Traffic Police Corps is investigating to determine the exact cause of the crash.
