A Tesla Model 3 slammed into the front-right side of a downtown Clinton dance studio Wednesday afternoon, sending three people to local hospitals with minor injuries and scattering broken brick and glass across the storefront. Part of Market Street was briefly shut down, and by the next morning, the studio’s entrance was boarded up and ringed with cones. Police later said the car was in an automated driving mode when the driver tried to hit the brakes.
Police: Tesla Was Running on Autopilot
Clinton Police Department officers responded around 4 p.m. and spoke with the driver, identified in the report as Sharron Parrish King. According to the police report, as relayed by WVLT, the driver tried to brake to turn onto 371 Market Street, but the vehicle continued straight ahead and hit the studio’s front-right facade while it was in an automated driving mode.
Federal Heat on Tesla’s Self-Driving Tech
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems are already under sustained federal scrutiny. In March, regulators upgraded an investigation into Full Self-Driving to an engineering analysis covering roughly 3.2 million vehicles, looking at whether camera-based systems fail to detect reduced visibility or warn drivers in time, according to Insurance Journal. Safety experts say those features still require constant driver attention and are not fully autonomous.
Studio Front Smashed, Three People Hurt
The building took the hit mainly on the front and right side, with brick and windows damaged. By Thursday morning, crews had covered the entrance with wooden panels and set out cones, as reported by WVLT. Three people were transported to area hospitals with what police described as minor injuries. Dream Dance Studio is listed as a longtime Market Street fixture in local business directories, according to the Anderson County Chamber.
Test Drive Turns Into Crash Investigation
Police say the vehicle’s owner was not behind the wheel and had allowed the driver to try the Tesla while they considered buying it, according to the report. Authorities have not announced any charges. Investigators are reviewing the police report and vehicle data, while city inspectors assess structural damage before the studio can reopen.
A Caution Flag for Driver-Assist Tech
The crash lands as a fresh reminder that driver-assist systems are built to help, not replace, human control, and the ongoing regulatory attention highlights that risk. Owners of cars with Autopilot or FSD-style features are urged to keep software up to date and watch for safety notices or recall information, experts told national outlets, according to Insurance Journal.
