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Jyungwoo Hahn, 46, of Cresskill was approaching Exit 10 on the parkway's northbound side in Nanuet when his white 2020 Model S left the roadway and struck a tree on the center median during a snowstorm around 11 a.m. Saturday, March 12, New York State Police said.
"The Tesla’s sole source of power is the 375-volt lithium-ion battery, which spans the entire length and width of the floor of the car," Nanuet firefighters said. "This battery was ruptured and was in 'thermal runaway,' making [the fire] extremely difficult to be extinguished."
"Thermal runaway" is a chain-reaction that begins when the temperature inside the battery cell reaches a certain point and suddenly releases energy. That, in turn, instantly drives up the temperature, igniting more chemical reactions, all within milliseconds.
Temperatures can reach more than 750 degrees Fahrenheit, gassing the battery and making the blaze so hot that it's extremely difficult to extinguish, firefighters say.
Firefighters from New City and Spring Valley brought additional manpower and more than 1,000 gallons of water each to Saturday's crash scene, Nanuet's smoke eaters said. The fire was finally doused around 1 p.m.
Hahn was pronounced dead at the scene, said State Police, who cited weather as a contributing factor in the crash, which caused major delays on the parkway's northbound side.
It was too soon to tell whether he was killed by the crash or the subsequent fire.
State Police asked that anyone who witnessed the crash or saw the vehicle before it happened contact Investigator Eric Haydt at the Haverstraw Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at (845) 364-9424.
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