How did they not notice? Driver of £100,000 Tesla forgets to shut one of its 'falcon wing' doors and smashes straight into a London bus
This is the shocking moment a £100,000 Tesla Model X collided with a bus after the driver failed to shut one of its distinctive 'falcon wing' doors.
Footage captured in Southgate, north London, shows the Tesla driver make their way along the road with one of their rear doors fully open at around 4.45pm on August 14.
Just seconds later, the open 'falcon wing' door smashes into a double-decker bus approaching from the opposite direction - shattering the glass on the driver's window.
It is unclear how the motorist was not alerted to the open rear door by the car's alarms - or failed to spot it, even though it appears to be on the driver's side.
The Tesla Model X collides with a double-decker bus in Southgate, north London, on August 14
The driver of the Tesla fails to shut one of its distinctive 'falcon wing' doors and continues to drive along the road
During the clip, the driver of the Tesla moves off from a parking bay and merges into traffic.
The motorist continues to drive along the road with one of the upward-opening car doors sticking out.
Within seconds, it collides with the route 125 bus driving in the opposite direction and the bus driver leans away from his steering wheel to protect himself.
The Tesla driver then moves their vehicle to the side of the road as their damaged falcon door hangs off the car.
Tom Cunnington, TfL's Head of Bus Business Development: 'We are aware of an incident involving a route 125 bus on Saturday in Southgate, and a video on social media of the incident that shows what happened from an onlooker's perspective.
'This would have been a very frightening experience for the bus driver, who we wish well, and we are supporting the bus operator's ongoing investigation.'
The Tesla Model X, which is known for the falcon wing doors that open upwards, was first launched by Elon Musk's all-electric-car company in 2015.
The motorist continues to drive along the road before colliding into the route 125 bus driving in the opposite direction
The Tesla driver slows down and moves their vehicle to the side of the road with their damaged door
It is Tesla's most advanced car yet, with radar and sonar systems enabling partial self-driving and an air filtration system or 'bioweapon defence mode' which Musk claims can filter out viruses.
The car also features a warning alarm which is set off when the double-hinged falcon doors are open.
MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
The scenes come after one mother accidentally clipped one of the falcon doors on her Tesla Model X in Salt Lake City, Utah, last year.
Meg Jensen, from Salt Lake City, shared footage of her mother accidentally crashing into their garage with her Tesla
Meg Jensen shared footage of her mother colliding into the side of her garage after she dropped her children off at home.
The collision, which saw the open falcon door crash into a wall, caused Ms Jenson's mother to abruptly stop her car.
In a caption on social media she wrote: 'My mom in her Tesla X vs. the Garage... Which will win? Caught on Nest cam security.'