Tesla Model 3 crashes into gate at B.C. ferry terminal

Cars wait at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in West Vancouver in this undated image. (Shutterstock)

Police are investigating after a Tesla Model 3 crashed into a closed ferry gate in B.C.'s Lower Mainland over the weekend.

Authorities said the collision took place on a boarding ramp leading to an empty berth at the Horseshoe Bay terminal early Saturday afternoon.

"There was no vessel in the berth at the time of the incident," BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall told CTV News in an email. "The vehicle was not attempting to board a ferry."

The cause of the crash is unclear. The West Vancouver Police Department said investigators are working to determine whether there was a human or mechanical error.

"That's what we intend to find out," Sgt. Mark McLean said. "They're so high-tech that it's going to be quite time-consuming to go through all the data and find out what's going on."

Authorities do not believe the driver was impaired.

McLean said the Tesla "suddenly accelerated" prior to the collision, and was "effectively destroyed" by the impact.

There were two people in the vehicle at the time, and both were transported to hospital in stable condition. McLean could not provide any information on their injuries except to say that they were not life-threatening.

BC Ferries said staff are "fully supporting" West Vancouver police in their investigation.