Fact Check: California Highway Crash Caused by Drunk Driver, Not Car Malfunction
A video surfacing on the internet since Thursday, August 14, claimed that an electric Ford malfunctioned midway through the highway in California. In the viral clip, one can see the turbulent car completely losing control and smashing into another vehicle on a highway in the American state, despite the driver sitting inside it.
This individual was claimed to have panicked as the car kept moving ahead and scraped alongside the divider before slamming into the other vehicle that came in its way. A popular account on X posted the video and alleged that the driver lost control of the vehicle in a vulnerable moment and started freaking out instead of pulling the brakes.
However, in a timely fact check, a report by Lead Stories debunked the story and confirmed that the police found the driver intoxicated and arrested the man responsible for all the havoc caused on the highway. The fact check clarified that the man in the footage had been arrested by the California Highway Patrol for drunk driving and causing damage to the other vehicle.
'Does a viral social media video show a Ford electric car malfunctioning, with its steering locked and accelerator to the floor? No, that's not true: Lead Stories used geolocation techniques to find the scene of the accident and obtain a police report that a malfunction did not cause the wreck. California Highway Patrol said the driver was arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicants. The person who posted the claim is not the person who witnessed and filmed the crash," said the report.
California Police Issues Official Statement
Later on, the California Police informed Lead Stories about the crash at that location before releasing an official statement on the matter. Following an investigation, the driver was found under the influence of intoxicants. The police also issued an indirect warning to social media users not to spread video clips without proper context.
'Through our investigation, we determined the vehicle was not operating in autonomous mode and CHP officers arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence, resulting in injuries to another. While we understand public interest in such incidents, video clips may not capture the complete context or investigative process," the Police confirmed.
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