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Tesla Model X saves family and pet after being struck at an intersection
“I waited 4 years for this one and would wait 4 more if that is what it took to protect my family like this” are the words that resonate in orthopaedic surgeon Jonathan Braman’s head after he and five passengers, plus their family pet, survived a horrific crash in their Tesla Model X.
According to Braman, he and his family were entering an intersection near E. Bush Lake Road in Bloomington, Minnesota when a GMC SUV ran through a red light at high speed striking the Model X near the right front quarter panel. The impact caused all airbags to deploy – some in areas Braman admits he didn’t realize existed – and provide safety around all passengers within the vehicle. Braman tells Teslarati, “I rapidly got out of the car and was lucky enough to have a group of young men who were behind me in line at the light help extract us from the car. I quickly got my family as far away from the GMC as I could. I was unsure if the gasoline in that car was stable and worried that his car would catch fire.”
Luckily everyone walked away unharmed. “We are alive. I’m pretty sure any other 7 passenger vehicle would have rolled if hit by this distracted Detroit Missile.”, says Braman.
What’s remarkable about this story is the fact that, despite being struck at high speed by a heavy and fast-moving SUV, and above the axis of rotation, the Model X didn’t roll. Braman who practices orthopaedic surgery and has been witness to some of the more extreme cases of spinal injury realizes the significance in this. Had the Model X rolled or even spun, there could have been serious neck and spinal injuries involved.
Braman’s father who was sitting inches from the point of impact was protected by the Model X’s large front crumple zone and airbags throughout, including never-before-seen leg airbags that deployed. “The other car was forced to glance off of us and came to a stop. The crumple zones worked, and my father who was sitting several inches from the point of impact was seen and discharged from the hospital. He would have been much more seriously injured if there were less safety protections. The leg airbags (and the others as well) deployed protecting him even further. The glass was not injured except by the airbag and never came out of any of the windows.”, tells us.
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- Tesla Model X saves family after a horrific head-on crash [Photo: Jonathan Braman]
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- Tesla Model X saves family after a horrific head-on crash [Photo: Jonathan Braman]
Despite being shook up from the incident, Braman a Roadster owner since 2010 says he waited over four years to receive his Model X P90D(L) and will wait another four if it means getting into a vehicle that will, not only protect the climate and his children’s future, but protect his family from this type of crash, and have them all walk away safely.
“I waited 4 years for this one and would wait 4 more if that is what it took to protect my family like this.”
This incident serves as a great example of why the Model X truly is the best car ever. Not because of the vehicle’s countless technological innovations: that’s a given, but because Tesla truly did put safety in mind before anything else. If you recall, CEO Elon Musk’s opening remark from the Model X unveiling event was around safety – something Braman’s story of survival can surely attest to.
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Elon Musk shed two new bits of detail on Starship following its 13th test launch, which was an overwhelming success.
SpaceX launched Starship for the 13th time last Friday after two delays: one on Monday when several Raptor engines did not ignite, and another on Thursday due to unfavorable weather conditions in Starbase, Texas.
The launch was overwhelmingly successful. SpaceX was able to complete a necessary test of the heat shield tiles by increasing the acceleration of Starship from launch throughout the flight; 20 Starlink v3 satellites were released with no issue; the Super Heavy Booster landed safely in the Gulf of America, Ship successfully reignited engines while in space; and it also splashed down without incident in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
Nevertheless, more details are coming out about Starship, and Musk is doing the talking.
Starship Will Be Retrieved in the Ocean
Musk revealed on Tuesday night that Starship would be recovered by a ship in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX routinely tries to recover Starship after splashdown in an effort to find out more about the flight by examining the spacecraft afterward.
We’re sending a ship out to recover Starship https://t.co/fUqUZTITO9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 28, 2026
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This helps engineers find out more about why things might have happened, allows them to examine any potential damage or anomalies that might have occurred, and increases the chances of an even more successful flight next time thanks to the additional information recovered.
Ship Could Have Been Caught by Tower Arms, Musk claims
Musk has already indicated that SpaceX will plan to attempt a catch of Starship with the 14th test flight. While this would be a major accomplishment, it would be an expected next step, considering the fact that the Super Heavy Booster has already been caught by the chopsticks on numerous occasions.
The ship landing was precise, meaning that it would have been caught by the tower arms https://t.co/6nbNrRfX9P
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
A ship catch would be a great indication of where SpaceX stands in terms of reusability and launch cadence. A successful catch with relatively no incidents would be a good sign that SpaceX is nearing a more frequent launch of Starship, but also that the reusability of the massive rocket would be something many would expect in the near future.
It is a necessity to make life multiplanetary.
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Elon Musk has updated his timeline for when humans will walk on Mars and for when ships will simply get there.
The objective of getting to Mars has been one of Musk’s biggest goals since becoming a serial entrepreneur and realizing that time on Earth is limited. Musk has said several times he hopes to die on Mars, and not by impact.
Musk now believes that people will be on Mars in “roughly 5 to 7 years.” He said that a Mars lander will get there “a few years sooner.”
People on Mars in roughly 5 to 7 years.
Mars lander a few years sooner.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
The response from Musk comes after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that SpaceX’s biggest priority is the Moon and not Mars. Because of this, Isaacman conceded that he believes nuclear power and propulsion investments will provide “potentially the pathway with the fewest miracles required to put four people on Mars in the next 10 to 15 years.”
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Of course, this is what NASA can do through taxpayer funding and nuclear investments, he added.
Musk’s grand ambitions are much more optimistic than most, and it is certainly a double-edged sword. This is not the first time timelines for Mars have been somewhat lofty, especially to those normal thinkers like you and me, not super geniuses like Musk.
In fact, the SpaceX and Tesla frontman has said on at least a dozen occasions that we could be on Mars in the coming years. Musk said 2020 would be the big year as early as 2009. In 2020, he was “highly confident” of a landing in 2026, and had even said 2024 in a best-case scenario.
The point is, the range has varied, and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll get there. This latest adjustment to the timeline is typical of Musk, and while the Moon has seemingly taken priority over Mars, it is still worth mentioning that the ultimate goal is to make life multiplanetary, and it starts potentially with the Red Planet.
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) got an absolutely crazy price target rating from Raymond James after the company experienced a tough first few weeks following its Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Despite the tumultuous start, SpaceX has plenty of believers, and the company’s massively successful Starship launch last Friday, its 13th test flight of the massive rocket, went so smoothly that Raymond James analysts pushed its price target on the company to roughly 7 times its current trading level.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
The firm officially put a “Strong Buy” rating and an $800 price target on the stock. It currently trades at around $113. Its all-time high is $225.64, reaching this trading level shortly after shares first went public.
Raymond James’ price target is tied to the firm’s confidence after Starship’s 13th test flight. Analysts at the firm said it was an incremental step that reduces engineering risks, citing the widely successful heat shield test that CEO Elon Musk recently detailed, the smooth deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, and a successful in-space engine relight.
SpaceX also managed to see Starship splash down safely in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy Booster fell down to the Gulf of America with no incidents.
It is interesting to see these launches have such a tremendous impact on the stock and what investors think of it. After SpaceX initially delayed the Starship launch last week, shares fell tremendously. Most probably did not realize that the stand-down is a standard practice, especially if everything is not perfect.
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The mission was initially aborted due to an issue with Raptor engines. This was resolved, and Starship launched last Friday after another delay on Thursday, which was caused by weather.
Now that analysts have seen what SpaceX launches are capable of and how impressive the feat is, firms are adjusting their price targets accordingly, making it known that they have high expectations for the space exploration company.
Elon Musk sheds two new bits of detail on Starship after 13th test launch
Elon Musk updates the SpaceX timeline for Mars
