A Florida driver who crashed a Tesla into an elderly woman’s home, causing the death of the homeowner, her dog, and a passenger in the car, has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison.
Vaughn W. Mongan, 45, pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing severe bodily injury, resulting in a 27-year prison sentence.
Mongan was driving a brand-new Tesla in a residential area in Palm Harbor in September 2021 at an alarming speed of nearly 116 miles per hour, in a 30 mph speed limit zone. The car sped past a stop sign and collided with a nearby house, killing 69-year-old Donna Rein, her dog Lilly, and Travis Meisman, the owner of the car who was a passenger in the vehicle and had just purchased the vehicle hours earlier.
According to Florida Highway Patrol officers, Mongan ignored a stop sign at an intersection, drove off the road, and struck a grass edge. The car became airborne, flying through a vinyl fence and into the rear of Rein’s home.
Rein’s 14-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, Lilly, also died in the crash. The car owner and passenger, Travis Meisman, passed away at a local hospital, while other passengers, Colin Keeler, Sean Donahue, and Christopher French, suffered injuries.
Rein and her dog were propelled from her bedroom into the front yard.
Sergeant Steve Gaskins, speaking to a local news outlet, said that the vehicle went through the entire house, demolishing a wall and part of the roof, and fatally injuring the homeowner.
Although Tesla cars are equipped with autopilot capabilities, the police have not indicated that Mongan was using this feature during the crash.
Tesla’s website says the Model S Plaid model retails for $129,900, can reach a top speed of 200 mph, and can go from zero-to-60 mph in 1.9 seconds.
