Out-of-control Tesla slammed into building after acceleration set to ‘Insane’ mode for test drive, lawsuit says

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A federal employee was critically injured when she lost control of a Tesla Model Y during a test drive and slammed into a hair salon, unaware that the salesman had set the acceleration to “Insane” mode before sending her out on the road, according to a $10 million-plus lawsuit obtained by The Independent.

In her complaint, Alemzewd Lawgalet, 59, says she had never before driven an electric car, and was never told prior to leaving the lot in Arlington, Virginia, that the electric car she was trying out had three different acceleration modes: Chill, which Tesla says limits acceleration for a “smooth and gentle ride,” Standard, which provides a “normal level” of acceleration, and Insane, which gives drivers “the maximum level of acceleration immediately available.”

The Model Y she was given was in Insane mode, according to the complaint, making the car capable of going from 0 to 60mph in just 3.3 seconds – or, roughly the same as a Ferrari 296 GTB Speciale. Only, no one had said anything to Lawgalet about it, according to the complaint.

At the Tesla showroom, it says Lawgalet had been improperly assured by the sales staff that the electric car she was about to drive “operated the same as a gas vehicle.” As Lawgalet – who was not accompanied by the Tesla salesman on the test drive – pulled away from a red light near the Pentagon, the Model Y suddenly “lurched forward at an extreme speed and horsepower compared to the force placed on the accelerator,” according to her complaint.

“The sudden acceleration caused [Lawgalet] to lose control of the vehicle and to crash into a nearby storefront,” the complaint states, adding that Lawgalet suffered “serious and permanent… injuries,” which “have caused and will continue to cause physical and mental pain and suffering.”

open image in gallery Alemzewd Lawgalet was improperly assured by Tesla sales staff that the electric car she was about to drive for a test 'operated the same as a gas vehicle,' according to a federal lawsuit ( Getty Images )

Lawgalet, who is a database developer at the Federal Reserve Board, according to public records, was rushed to the hospital following the September 21, 2024 wreck, which made headlines at the time. The vehicle caught fire upon impact, and forced the evacuation of the building.

“I thought I died,” the salon owner told WUSA9. “I literally thought, like, there was a bomb and the building exploded and that was the last of it.”

The cause of the crash was never previously made public, and Lawgalet had not been identified as the driver until her complaint was filed July 22 in Alexandria federal court.

A Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

In September 2024, Lawgalet scheduled an appointment on Tesla’s website to test drive a Model Y at a local dealership, according to her complaint, which was first filed in Virginia state court before being removed to federal court earlier this week.

When she showed up, a salesman showed her to a Model Y that was already on, keys in the car. The complaint says Lawgalet told the salesman that it was her first time ever behind the wheel of an electric car, and asked what she needed to know about operating one.

Lawgalet, according to the complaint, was told that it was just like driving a gasoline-powered car, and not that electric cars accelerate faster and more easily. She was then sent out on her test drive, alone, and told to come back when she was done.

open image in gallery The Tesla showroom in Arlington, Virginia, where Lawgalet's test drive began, according to court filings ( Google Maps )

Lawgalet merged onto I-395, going 55mph, then took her foot off the accelerator and was “scared as the car abruptly slowed down on the highway,” the complaint states.

It says Lawgalet was never informed that the car featured regenerative braking, which feeds power back to the battery and causes the vehicle to slow down when the accelerator is released, even if the brake pedal is not depressed.

“However, [Lawgalet] believed that the car’s brakes had engaged while going 55 miles per hour on the highway,” the complaint goes on. [Lawgalet] was scared and decided to get off at the next exit and take the vehicle back to the dealership.”

She exited the highway at the Pentagon exit, and stopped at a red light. When it turned green, the Model Y’s Insane mode was suddenly too much for Lawgalet to handle and the car careened across the asphalt into the Posh Salon.

“As a direct and proximate result of the crash, Plaintiff suffered serious and permanent bodily injuries, which have caused and will continue to cause physical and mental pain and suffering,” the complaint states. “Plaintiff has incurred and will continue to incur medical, therapeutic, and related expenses. Plaintiff sustained additional damages including the inability to enjoy the normal functions of life and lost wages.”

A driver cannot accidentally put a Tesla into Insane mode, because activating it requires navigating a series of specific touchscreen menus.

The complaint blames the wreck on Tesla’s negligence, and claims Lawgalet was not at all at fault. At the same time, Tesla filed an answer to the allegations when it was pending in state court that put the onus on Lawgalet, arguing that she had “failed to take reasonable care,” and that she “fail[ed] to take reasonable steps to mitigate her alleged damages.”

Tesla, which is run by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, has faced numerous lawsuits over a slew of issues ranging from a much vaunted “self-driving” capability that allegedly does not work as advertised and has led to multiple deaths, to poorly designed doors said to trap occupants inside if the electric system fails in a crash, to reports of rampant discrimination, sexual assault, and on-the-job drug use at its manufacturing plants.

Lawgalet is seeking at least $10 million in compensatory damages, and $350,000 in punitive damages, for Tesla’s “recklessness,” “willful and wanton conduct,” and “conscious disregard for the health and safety of others.”