Bergen police reopen investigation into Tesla taxi crash at city centre kiosk

Norwegian police will conduct new investigations into a 2023 incident where a Tesla taxi crashed into a Narvesen kiosk in central Bergen, Dagbladet reports. The case was previously dropped due to lack of evidence but has now been reopened following media attention.

The crash occurred in the early hours of 13 May 2023, when the white Tesla—operated as a taxi—accelerated uncontrollably along Torgallmenningen, a pedestrianised street in Bergen’s city centre, before colliding with the kiosk. Witnesses described pedestrians jumping out of the way as the vehicle mounted the curb.

The driver, whose licence was revoked, was initially charged with careless driving but maintained that the car accelerated on its own despite his attempts to brake. The case was later dismissed by prosecutors, though the exact reason for the vehicle’s behaviour remained unresolved.

Speaking to Motor.no, Kjersti Katrine Svendsen, a police prosecutor with Vest Police District, confirmed that authorities would re-examine elements of the case, though she cautioned that high caseloads would delay the process. “It is positive that the media is committed to finding the cause of the incident,” Svendsen stated, while clarifying to broadcaster NRK that Tesla itself would not be subject to police scrutiny.

The taxi driver’s lawyer, Torkjell Øvrebø, told Dagbladet that his client seeks a deeper investigation into Tesla’s potential responsibility for the accident. Video footage of the crash, obtained by private individuals, has circulated since the incident.