A Tesla Model 3 became the center of a potentially dangerous incident in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, after it got stuck on train tracks and was lightly struck by an oncoming train.
According to Berks County fire alerts, the incident occurred near South Hull Street and Columbia Avenue, where the Tesla allegedly drove around a lowered train barrier before becoming immobilized on the tracks. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and all train traffic was halted as a precaution while a crane was used to remove the vehicle. Spitlers Garage & Towing handled the recovery and shared photos of the scene on Facebook.
Fortunately, the driver exited the car safely before the train arrived. While the collision caused only minor visible damage, the circumstances surrounding the event raise significant concerns, especially the driver’s claim that the car was operating in “self-driving mode” leading up to the incident.
This isn’t the first time Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology has come under scrutiny. Though marketed as a revolutionary step toward autonomous mobility, Tesla’s FSD is not yet fully autonomous. The company has emphasized that even with FSD engaged, the driver must remain attentive and fully responsible for the vehicle at all times.
Tesla has promised that all cars built since 2016 will one day be capable of unsupervised self-driving via software updates. However, that future has yet to materialize.
Tesla sells its FSD software as an add-on package costing up to $15,000, though it currently functions more like an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) rather than true autonomy. The company’s marketing and software naming conventions have been criticized for potentially misleading consumers about the technology’s actual capabilities and limitations.
While the full details of what led to Tesla getting stuck are still under investigation, crossing a lowered train barrier, whether by human or machine decision, is a serious error.
Whether the FSD system misinterpreted the environment or the driver ignored visual cues remains unclear, but the incident highlights the critical need for caution and responsibility when using semi-autonomous features.
