Injury Crash in Rochester Blamed on Show Off Uber Driver in Tesla

Get our free mobile app

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - An Uber driver who admitted losing control of his brand-new Tesla while trying to show it off to his passengers is now facing three felony charges.

The criminal complaint against 40-year-old Eldon Nelson says State Troopers he was speeding at about 90 mph on an entrance ramp to Highway 52 when he lost control and crashed. The charges state that when State Troopers arrived at the scene around 11 PM on April 29 they found "a Tesla blocking the left and center lanes facing west nearly perpendicular to the highway."

The troopers also noticed the airbags in the electric car had been deployed and "found a man with blood on his face lying on his back in the highway to the south of the car. A woman lay in the grass on the side of the road, and another walked with a limp." She explained to the troopers that she and three friends were sharing a ride in Nelson's Tesla and were discussing his brand-new car when he accelerated "to a frightening speed, loss control, and crashed into the concrete median."

Three of the passengers that had hired Nelson for the Uber ride suffered broken bones, including one person with fractured vertebrae and another who was knocked unconscious during the crash. The court documents indicated a fourth passenger suffered only minor injuries.

Nelson is been charged with four counts of criminal vehicular operation. Three of the charges are felonies and the fourth is a gross misdemeanor offense. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on July 26.