Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Crash victim’s dad had Tesla’s top speed lowered
After Barrett Riley got a ticket for driving 112 mph in March, his father had the teen’s 2014 Tesla Model S altered so it could not go faster than 85 mph, Riley’s aunt, Pat Riley, said Friday.
Riley and one of his two passengers died Tuesday when Riley’s Tesla crashed and went up in flames. Fort Lauderdale Police said excessive speed may have been a factor, but could not say how fast the car was going, where the fire began or what caused it.
The posted speed limit is 30 mph.
Pat Riley said her brother, James, knew that Tesla loaner cars had a maximum speed of 85 mph. So after Barrett was cited in March — his first traffic offense — the father asked Tesla to adjust the car’s top speed.
“My brother bought the car for my nephew because he wanted Barrett to be safe,” said Pat Riley, of Fort Lauderdale. “He thought other cars were riskier because the gas could cause a fire. How ironic.”
Inside the sedan were Riley, 18, of Fort Lauderdale, and front-seat passenger Edgar Monserratt Martinez, 18, of Aventura.
Both died at the scene, police said. Ejected from the Tesla was Alexander Berry,
18, of Fort Lauderdale.
Intervening to limit a car’s speed has become an increasingly popular option among new car owners, especially for cars driven by teenagers, said Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.
Because these cars are controlled by sensors and signals, it’s fairly easy to reprogram them to control speeds, he said.
Brauer said the crashed Tesla’s technology likely included a recorder, similar to the “black boxes” on airplanes, that will help investigators determine the reason for the crash. The information could include the car’s rate of speed in the last two minutes, when the brakes were applied, the state of the battery charge and angle of steering. The Tesla does not use a gasoline-powered engine and is powered by a battery.
In the March incident, a Broward sheriff’s deputy used radar to track Barrett Riley’s gray Tesla traveling at 112 mph in a 50-mph zone near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to the citation.
Riley had three other young adults in the car with him when it was pulled over on South Federal Highway near the Terminal Drive ramp, the March 3 ticket stated.
Riley also was cited for unlawful speed. A hearing officer on April 6 dismissed the unlawful speed violation when Riley pleaded no contest to the speeding charge. Adjudication was withheld.
Riley was ordered to attend eight hours of classes on aggressive driving and pay $590 in court costs, court documents show.
The maximum speed of a 2014 Tesla Model S is 155 mph, according to RoadAndTrack.com, a website and magazine that explore new cars and car culture.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is investigating the crash, along with the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB’s inquiry will focus on the emergency response to the battery fire, the agency said.
Riley and Martinez were close friends and seniors at Pine Crest School, a school spokeswoman said. They were set to graduate May 24. Riley was to attend Purdue University; Martinez had been accepted to Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.
Berry, the crash survivor, attended Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale and had just completed his freshman year at the University of Florida, where he is majoring in engineering.
Pat Riley said Tesla founder Elon Musk called the Riley family to offer his condolences.
Pat Riley said she believes that her nephew, who was on his way home from the Galleria mall, was trapped after the crash because the electronic doors prevented the car’s occupants from exiting.
“It’s ridiculous that in 2018 they are making cars that are plush and modern but not safe,” she said. “I loved my nephew. He was wonderful. I want every car company in America to hear my plea.”
A Tesla spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.