Four displaced on Christmas Eve after Tesla flies into Brockton building

BROCKTON — A Tesla went airborne on Belmont Street Saturday and crashed into an office and residential building.

No one was seriously hurt, fire officials said, but four residents are displaced while inspectors make sure 493 Belmont St. is structurally sound.

Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli said the involvement of a battery-powered car posed extra dangers. Damaged lithium-ion batteries may cause secondary fires via "thermal runaway." The Fire Department is having Lynch's Towing keep the wrecked Tesla separate from other vehicles at their tow yard.

"This is a concern nationwide with lithium ion batteries," Nardelli said.

Brockton recently sent two firefighters to New York City to study how that fire department handles its roughly 40 incidents a day involving lithium-ion batteries, Nardelli said.

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493 Belmont St., built in 1930 according to property records, is a three-story mixed-use building.

The Tesla was heading eastbound when it launched into the building. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Brockton isn't alone in having vehicles crash into buildings — just consider this week's spectacular crash in Roslindale Square. But it's a common occurrence. In recent years, Brockton has seen an SUV crash into the Laundry King, sending eight people to the hospital; a Mercedes plow into Dick's Sporting Goods and another SUV ram into the waiting area at a hearing aid store.

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