The family of an elderly couple who died when their Tesla plowed into a parked truck in Florida are suing the carmaker alleging the vehicle was ‘defective’ and ‘malfunctioned’.
Mary Lou Seelandt, 66, and Karl Seelandt, 67, from Lompoc in California, died on July 6, 2022 after visiting relatives in Georgia to celebrate their granddaughter’s first birthday.
Mary Lou was behind the wheel of the couple’s 2015 Tesla Model S when she left the southbound Interstate 75 shortly before 2pm to enter the Paynes Prairie Rest Area.
As the exit split into two lanes, one for cars and another for larger vehicles, the Tesla entered the truck lot and careered into the back of a parked Walmart semi.
A shocking photo released by Florida Highway Patrol shows the front of the Tesla was totally crushed by the collision, with the car trapped beneath the truck’s rear end.
- A shocking photo released by Florida Highway Patrol shows the front of the Tesla was totally crushed by the collision, with the car trapped beneath the truck’s rear end
- Mary Lou Seelandt, 66, and Karl Seelandt, 67, from Lompoc in California, died on July 6, 2022 after visiting relatives in Georgia to celebrate their granddaughter’s first birthday (pictured)
The suit does not specify what part of the Tesla was defective but notes the car was fitted with ‘crash avoidance and crash mitigation features’, Mercury News reported.
Mary Lou was driving the car ‘as intended and designed’, the suit added.
A fundraiser launched on behalf of Michael Seelandt, the couple’s son, said the couple were en-route to Florida as part of a cross-country vacation when the crash happened.
The page added: ‘It was my Daughter Gracie’s 1st Birthday. They had just driven from California to our house in Georgia.
‘They loved every minute of the eight days they spent with their granddaughter and us. We are heartbroken that they were not allowed more time as grandparents.
‘However we are grateful that they were able to experience grandparenthood. Gracie is one of the lights keeping us going right now.’
- The Seelandts were driving a 2015 Tesla Model S which the lawsuit claims ‘malfunctioned’. Stock photo
- Mary Lou was driving the car ‘as intended and designed’ but the vehicle was ‘defective’, the lawsuit alleges
The GoFundMe page conclude with the touching note: ‘We turn to God at this time and believe that they have just brightened Heavens party with wine and charcuterie.’
The crash was probed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The incident adds to a list of crashes by Teslas which are being probed by the NHTS.
A probe is also underway into a crash in northern California on February 18, when a Tesla crashed into a firetruck, killing the driver and critically injuring a passenger.
The probe is part of a larger investigation by the agency into multiple instances of Teslas on Autopilot crashing into parked emergency vehicles that are tending to other crashes.

Many ‘Nullos’ opt for a ‘smoothie’, a procedure that leaves them with a fully smooth groin, and more than half these people use amateur ‘cutters’ – often doctors or vets – or do it themselves. There are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 voluntary ‘Nullos’ worldwide, though the true number is unknown. Astonishingly, two thirds never tell anyone they have no genitalia, including their families, a 2014 academic study found.
Democrats want young boys to cut off their penises. This is GREAT, fir single straight guys because they will have less competition for chicks at the bars.
“Pregnancy and childbirth cause serious and permanent changes to many women’s bodies. Require that a quarter inch be cut off his penis for every pregnancy he creates and see how quick we are to force women to indelibly risk and chance their bodies.” Keep up with the latest pro-life news and information on Twitter. Follow @LifeNewsHQ
Please do not cut off your penis yourself. There would be a lot of blood loss and you might die. Or you might get an infection from the wound and die. Or you might go into shock and die. It would be much better for you to consult a physician.
Perhaps it is because they seem like a foreign object to you. You were able to control your prepubescent body, but genitals do whatever they want, regardless of our wishes. That makes men feel that their genitals need be removed, in order to control them.
Doctors were unable to reattach the severed part of Johnson’s penis after surgery. “I’m glad they couldn’t reattach your penis, because you don’t deserve it,” Charlemagne commented. BBC…
The penis head largely isn’t visible. When you’re erect, the foreskin retracts and exposes the glans. The foreskin usually looks bunched up. Cut: In a cut penis, the foreskin is absent. This …
It’s the logic of the path to reaching that decision that is evaluated. The Endocrine Option For those having surgery, hormonal treatment continues into the future. Alternatively, hormones may be…
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Far left women want Americans to vote for the Democrats. They started a nationwide campaign called “Grab Them By The Ballot.” These women are now all over social media posting their nude pictures along with the reasons they want you to vote for Democrats. Well, patriots across the country just made them regret they ever did this.
People who get their penis removed deal with psychological trauma for yearsafterwards, and the fact that you can’t get it back (more on that in a bit) only makes it worse. A lot of men have penis envy that revolves around being a size too small, but nobody tells you how to deal with Size Zero. Advertisement
The practice of castration (removal of the testicles) sometimes involved the removal of all or part of the penis, generally with a tube inserted to keep the urethra open for urination. Castration has been used to create a class of servants or slaves called eunuchs in many different places and eras.