Woman driver dies in fiery FDR Drive crash
A woman driving a Tesla died in a February 4, 2025, FDR Drive crash recorded at 2:44 a.m.; police said the Tesla overturned, ejecting both occupants before it caught fire.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Police accounts reported by the Daily News said the woman was driving north near East 70th Street when she hit a guardrail. The Daily News and Post said both occupants were ejected as the Tesla overturned, before it caught fire. 1010 WINS reported both occupants were ejected in the impact and described the Tesla as overturning, breaking apart and erupting in flames. The 26-year-old passenger was taken to Weill Cornell; reports differed on his condition, describing it as stable or serious. The official record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor, while news accounts differed on whether speeding had been established.
Reports describe ejection and a vehicle fire.
The Daily News reported police said the woman was driving north when she hit a guardrail. The Daily News and Post said both occupants were ejected as the Tesla overturned, before it caught fire. 1010 WINS reported both occupants were ejected in the impact and described the Tesla as overturning, breaking apart and erupting in flames.
The official record classifies the vehicle as a 2020 sedan traveling north and lists two occupants; news reports identified it as a Tesla.
Reports differ on the precise cross street.
The crash was on the Upper East Side stretch of Manhattan's FDR Drive. The Daily News and Post placed it near East 70th Street, while 1010 WINS reported it near East 71st Street. FOX 5 also described the location as the Upper East Side.
Reports differed on the passenger's condition.
News reports identified the driver as a woman, who was killed. The passenger was a 26-year-old man taken to Weill Cornell. The Post and FOX 5 reported that he was in stable condition; 1010 WINS described his injuries as serious and reported treatment in the burn unit.
Reports differed about speed.
The official record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. The Daily News cited witnesses who said the driver was speeding, and 1010 WINS reported a high rate of speed. The Post said it was not immediately clear whether the driver was speeding and that police were investigating.
Emergency crews extinguished the fire as lanes closed.
The Daily News reported that 60 firefighters and an FDNY hazmat team extinguished a lithium-ion battery fire by 3:50 a.m. and that northbound lanes were closed. FOX 5 later reported that the FDR Drive had reopened.