Video Shows Tesla Going Airborne and Crashing in Viral Stunt, LAPD Offering Reward for Information on Driver

LAPD officials have since announced a reward in connection with information on the driver, who is reported to have used a rented Tesla for the stunt.

March 21, 2022

As viral footage of the moment in question continues to circulate, police in Los Angeles have kicked off a hit-and-run investigation in connection with a Tesla driver’s airborne stunt.

Clips shared to social media over the weekend (including by Ben Baller) show the driver of what’s since been confirmed as a rented Tesla briefly taking flight before the vehicle begins to tilt downward, ultimately coming to a crashing stop toward the bottom of a hill.

Per a regional report from KTLA, the viral stunt took place shortly after midnight on Sunday and involved a rented 2018 Tesla Model S near the intersection of Baxter and Alvarado in the Echo Park area. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told the publication that the Tesla driver “abandoned the car and fled the scene” after crashing into multiple trash cans, as well as two parked vehicles.

The agency’s Central Traffic Division later announced a $1000 reward for what’s now being investigated as a misdemeanor hit-and-run incident, saying in a press release shared Sunday that the “public’s assistance” was needed. “There is currently no description of driver, and the Tesla was abandoned at scene,” a police spokesperson said at the time.

Shortly after announcing the reward, LAPD’s Central Traffic Division revealed that “over 90 percent” of the tips they had received had included mentions of @dominykas (a.k.a DurteDom), who had initially shared an edited clip to IG joking about the stunt. He also referenced the stunt in multiple TikTok updates, though Alex Choi—who captured widely shared footage of the viral moment—later noted that DurteDom “wasn’t even there” and did, in fact, “not jump the Tesla.”

Complex has reached out to a rep for Tesla, as well as an LAPD spokesperson, for additional comment. This post may be updated.

Footage of the crash was later shared by LAPD’s Central Traffic Division, with Choi also sharing a lengthier clip to YouTube. In the caption for the latter, it’s stated that “nobody was hurt” during the stunt.