Tesla FSD Crash: Phantom Braking Failure

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'Elon’s Fatal FSD Experiment: The Tesla Crash That Shouldn’t Have Happened'

Dateline: May 2025 – Silicon Valley, CA

On a quiet stretch of Highway 280 near Palo Alto, the wreckage of a Tesla Model S Plaid smoldered against the guardrail. The car, once the pinnacle of Elon Musk’s autonomous driving dreams, had veered off the road at 80 mph—despite Full Self-Driving (FSD) being engaged. The driver, 34-year-old software engineer Marcus Rinaldi, was pronounced dead at the scene.

But this wasn’t just another tragic Tesla crash.

The Phantom Braking Incident That Went Horribly Wrong

According to Tesla’s own data logs, obtained by federal investigators, Rinaldi’s car had suddenly slammed on the brakes for no discernible reason—a phenomenon known as 'phantom braking.' But this time, the car didn’t just slow down—it overcorrected violently, swerving into the adjacent lane before the autopilot disengaged, leaving Rinaldi less than a second to react.

Witnesses described the car 'acting possessed,' lurching erratically before impact.

A Known Flaw—Ignored?

Internal Tesla documents leaked to The Verge reveal that phantom braking complaints had surged by 300% since FSD’s latest 'unsupervised' update—yet Tesla continued rolling out the software, assuring regulators it was 'safer than human drivers.'

Even more chilling? Rinaldi had reported the issue himself.

Just days before his death, he posted on Tesla’s official forum:

'FSD keeps slamming on the brakes for shadows. Nearly got rear-ended twice. Anyone else?'

Tesla’s response? An automated reply directing him to 'recalibrate the cameras.'

The Whistleblower’s Bombshell

A former Tesla AI engineer, speaking anonymously, told Wired that the company rushed FSD’s latest update to meet Musk’s aggressive timeline, skipping critical safety checks.

'We knew the vision system was glitchy in certain lighting conditions, but leadership said ‘statistically, it’s fine.’ Well, statistics don’t matter when you’re dead.'

The Fallout

The NHTSA has now expanded its investigation into Tesla’s FSD, and Congress is debating an autonomous vehicle moratorium—something safety advocates have demanded for years. Meanwhile, Tesla stock has plummeted 15% overnight.

But for Marcus Rinaldi’s family, it’s too late.

'He believed in Tesla,' his sister told reporters. 'He thought the tech would save him.'

The Big Question: How Many More?

With over 736 reported phantom braking incidents in 2025 alone, critics say Tesla’s 'beta-testing-on-the-public' approach has crossed into criminal negligence.

Was Rinaldi’s death the final wake-up call—or just another data point in Musk’s high-stakes gamble with FSD?

Stay tuned as this investigation unfolds.

(Got a tip on Tesla’s FSD? Email us securely at tips@truecrime.tech.)

Would you like a deeper dive into any part of this story? Maybe Tesla’s past legal battles or Musk’s response? Let me know!

Tesla FSD Crash: Phantom Braking Failure

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