Explosive Arsenal Found in Rented Cybertruck; Las Vegas Blast Raises Safety Concerns and Turo Scrutiny
01/02/2025 06:33 PM
Chilling photographs from the exploded Cybertruck, rented through the car-sharing app Turo, reveal a cache of crudely constructed explosives. These findings have heightened concerns about the vehicle's safety record and the potential risks associated with car-sharing platforms. The Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas during the New Year's celebration on 1st January 2025.
The driver of the Cybertruck, manufactured by Elon Musk's Tesla, remains unidentified and perished in the devastating blast, which also left seven others injured. The truck bed, now a grim scene of destruction, contained charred fireworks, gas canisters, and camping fuel—remnants of a deadly arsenal.
Hours earlier in New Orleans, a horrific incident unfolded as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar intentionally drove an electric vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians, leaving 15 dead and dozens injured, according to a report by DailyMail.
Las Vegas Explosion: Chilling Details Emerge
Law enforcement sources have revealed a chilling detail: both the New Orleans vehicular attack and the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion involved vehicles rented through Turo, raising serious concerns about a possible connection.
BREAKING: Full video of Cybertruck exploding outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas pic.twitter.com/4neVZsldGC
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) January 1, 2025
On Wednesday afternoon, police revealed they are actively investigating potential connections between the two attacks, leaving no possibility unexplored. 'Do I think it's a coincidence? I don't know,' Sheriff Kevin McMahill said. 'We're absolutely looking into any connections to New Orleans.'
Turo Connection: A Disturbing Pattern?
In a press conference, investigators revealed the Cybertruck was rented from Turo in Colorado and driven across state lines to Nevada early Wednesday morning. Just an hour later, the vehicle exploded outside the Trump International Hotel.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Turo confirmed that the vehicles involved in both the Las Vegas explosion and the New Orleans attack were rented through their platform.
'Our trust and safety team is actively partnering with law enforcement authorities to share any information that could be helpful in their investigations,' the statement reads.
'We do not believe that either renter had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat, and we are not currently aware of any information that indicates the two incidents are related.'
Police Unveil Shocking Photos Of Explosive-Packed Cybertruck
Photographs from inside the charred Cybertruck revealed a chilling arsenal: fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel lay scattered in the truck bed. Investigators are still piecing together the exact detonation method, but sources familiar with the investigation believe the driver likely initiated the explosion.
Sheriff McMahill confirmed that the driver's remains are still in the heavily damaged Cybertruck. While authorities have identified the individual who rented the vehicle, they are withholding that information from the public at this time.
Officers also speculate that the driver might have deliberately chosen a car owned by Musk to make a statement, given the Tesla CEO's recent alliance with President-elect Donald Trump. 'It's a Tesla truck; we know Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it's the Trump Hotel, so there's obviously something to look at,' he said.
Musk Breaks Silence On Cybertruck's Role In Las Vegas Explosion
The tragic incident may have had a silver lining. Authorities concurred with Musk's earlier statement, suggesting the Cybertruck's robust design may have mitigated the blast's impact, potentially limiting casualties.
'The fact this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage,' McMahill said. 'It made most of the damage go up rather than out. The front glass doors at the Trump Hotel were not even broken by that blast.'
Hours earlier, Musk had said: 'Cybertruck is the worst possible choice for a car bomb, as its stainless steel armour will contain the blast better than any other commercial vehicle.' The £63821 ($80,000) electric vehicle erupted in a fiery blaze outside the hotel's revolving doors at approximately 8:40 a.m., tragically claiming one life and injuring seven others.
We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion. https://t.co/HRjb87YbaJ
Musk emphasised that the vehicle itself was not the source of the explosion. It's understood that the unnamed driver had rented the truck through the peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo.
'Law enforcement currently believes it was most likely intentional,' he added. 'Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way.'
Musk stated that 'Tesla vehicles transmit their state of health continuously,' indicating that his team had access to real-time data on the vehicle's mechanical condition before the explosion.
A History of Explosions: Cybertruck's Troubled Past
While this incident raises serious concerns about the potential misuse of technology, it's important to note that this is not the first time Cybertruck has been involved in an explosive incident.
On 5th August 2024, a Cybertruck was involved in a fatal accident in Baytown, Texas. The vehicle collided with a concrete culvert, resulting in a fire that tragically claimed the driver's life. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
Another tragic accident occurred on 4th December when a Tesla Cybertruck veered off the road, collided with a tree, and burst into flames. Three recent graduates of Piedmont High School, who were home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday, tragically lost their lives, according to a report by CBS News Bay Area.
