Tesla Crashes and Burns on I-280

A Tesla overturned and caught fire on northbound Interstate 280 in Daly City early Tuesday, shutting down lanes through the morning commute. (mercurynews.com) The crash was reported just before 6 a.m. near Serramonte Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol. By 6:34 a.m., all northbound lanes were closed, and two right lanes reopened around 8:40 a.m., KRON4 reported. (kron4.com) The vehicle was identified as a Tesla Model Y, and North County Fire crews spent about an hour dealing with the blaze. Authorities said the driver had minor injuries and did not go to the hospital. (ktvu.com) California Highway Patrol advisories first described the closure south of Serramonte Boulevard, and later updates said the No. 3 and No. 4 lanes reopened while the two left lanes stayed closed. NBC Bay Area said the crash scene was just north of Hickey Boulevard. (nbcbayarea.com) Electric-vehicle fires are handled differently from gasoline car fires because lithium-ion battery packs can keep generating heat after the first flames are knocked down. North County Fire Capt. Jeff Higgins told KTVU crews let part of the fire burn down because the battery had “its own energy.” (ktvu.com) That response helped explain why a single flipped SUV closed a major Bay Area freeway for hours during rush hour. ABC7 said northbound I-280 was fully shut at Hickey Boulevard, with drivers forced off and then routed back on at Serramonte. (abc7news.com) The California Highway Patrol had not publicly identified a cause Tuesday morning. KRON4 reported investigators did not know whether wet roadway conditions played a role in the crash. (kron4.com) By late morning, the fire was out and at least part of northbound I-280 was moving again, but the image that defined the commute was the same one that stopped it: an overturned Tesla burning on the shoulder above Daly City. (nbcbayarea.com)