Tesla Cybertruck Owner on FSD Drives Straight Into a Concrete Pole & Totals His Truck, Says “Thank You, Tesla! It Was Obviously My Fault” Adds, “I Want to Share the Accident Footage, but I Don’t Want to Damage Tesla’s Brand”

Jonathan Challinger is a Cybertruck owner from Florida and says his Cybertruck was involved in a major crash while on Tesla’s latest FSD software.

Jonathan reports that the truck drove onto a curb and ended up going straight into a light post. He also adds that the vehicle did not attempt to stop during the incident.

Naturally, most people will be unhappy if a “self-driving” software drives them straight into a light pole. However, Jonathan says it’s his fault and even expresses gratitude for Tesla.

Even though the active safety system failed to stop the vehicle, Jonathan says he’s still thankful for the Cybertruck’s passive safety system and structural rigidity, which saved his life.

Jonathan also says he wants to post the accident footage for educational purposes but would rather not give ammunition to Tesla’s detractors.

Following the accident, the Florida Cybertruck owner shared what happened on X.

Here is what he wrote…

“So my Cybertruck crashed into a curb and then a light post on FSD 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 no attempt to slow down or turn until it had already hit the curb. 

It was a big fail on my part, obviously. Don't make the same mistake I did. Pay attention. It can happen. I follow Tesla and FSD pretty closely and haven't heard of any accident on V13 at all before this happened. It is easy to get complacent now - don't. 

Tesla AI, how do I make sure you have the data you need from this incident? The service center, etc., has been less than responsive to this. 

I do have the dashcam footage. I want to get it out there as a PSA that it can happen, even on v13, but I'm hesitant because I don't want the attention, and I don't want to give the bears/haters any material. 

Spread my message and help save others from the same fate or far worse.”

Below his post, Jonathan shared a picture of his Cybertruck after the accident. As you can see, the Cybertruck went straight into what looks like a very thick concrete light post.

Soooooo 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

The front end of the vehicle is completely destroyed. The front wheel has fallen off, the frunk space is completely crashed, the airbags are deployed, and the doors are pushed back.

Overall, there is no doubt that Johnathan’s Cybertruck hit the pole at high speeds, and the vehicle appears to be most likely totaled.

By the way, before we move forward you need to know that Tesla recently made something seemingly impossible, by making the Cybertruck looking cheap, using the Model X. How? Look at this fresh video from the Youtube Channel of Torque News.

Looking at the comments, people were understandably surprised that Johnathan was thanking Tesla after the FSD software had driven him straight into a light pole and caused a major accident.

An X user, Snow Ball, asks…

“So FSD failed, but you still managed to find a way to praise Tesla. You failed, too, for not taking over in time. But your concern isn't for the lives of third parties that you and FSD endangered. No, you are worried about Tesla getting bad publicity. You have misplaced priorities.”

In response, Jonathan says his own stupidity caused the accident and that Tesla should be praised.

He writes…

“I am rightly praising Tesla's automotive safety engineers who saved my life and limbs from my own stupidity, which I take responsibility for. Get lost, sir.”

This is certainly a strong pro-Tesla attitude, and even some Tesla owners say that Jonathan is taking his praise a bit too far.

An X user, “notyourbuddy” responds to Jonathan, writing…

“Your own stupidity? Bro, I use FSD exclusively and love Tesla, but this is some out-of-control simping.”

Another X user, Jones King, shared a Google Street view of the accident site during daylight and wrote…

“The Cybertruck was not traveling in a lane. The lane did not end abruptly. Shame FSD couldn't avoid the fixed object being the pole.”

As you can see below, the Cybertruck drove on the “false lane” for a while before driving straight into the pole.

The cybertruck was not travelling in a lane. The lane did not end abruptly. Shame fsd couldn't avoid the fixed object being the pole. pic.twitter.com/1E47stkmX1
— Jones King (@Jones67403665) February 9, 2025

These are some of the comments from the more moderate part of the Tesla community; however, other, more ardent Tesla supporters put the blame squarely on Jonathan.

Having said that, because Johnathan did not blame Tesla for the accident, the ardent Tesla fans were more encouraging towards him for taking the blame.

A Tesla fan, David Cohen writes…

“That really stinks, and I know personally how you must feel.   But your willingness to share this lesson learned is invaluable for the safety and betterment of all Tesla users.

Thank you for putting the long-term good of the community ahead of personal embarrassment. It’s this kind of feedback that drives innovation and safety forward. Keep up the great spirit, and I hope the community acknowledges your contribution.”

In response, Johnathan says…

“Yes, it is against every instinct that I post this.”

Overall, it’s interesting how Johnathan has handled the FSD accident. Please let me know what you think in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the “Add new comment” button below. Also, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image: Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

For more information, check out: A Tesla Cybertruck Owner From Utah Says He Was Almost Beaten Up Simply For Driving a Cybertruck, but Adds, “It’s Not an Elon Musk Thing, the Guy was Driving a Lifted Ford F-350 Diesel”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.