A Florida driver who crashed a Tesla into the home of an elderly grandmother, killing her, her dog, and a passenger in the car, has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison.
Vaughn W. Mongan, 45, received a 27-year sentence after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide and reckless driving causing severe bodily injury.
According to a criminal complaint, Mongan was driving a brand-new Tesla at nearly 116 miles per hour in a residential area in Palm Harbor in September 2021, almost four times faster than the 30 mph speed limit. The car flew past a stop sign and crashed into a nearby house, killing 69-year-old Donna Rein, her dog, and a passenger in the vehicle.
Florida Highway Patrol officers reported that Mongan disregarded the stop sign at an intersection, drove off the roadway, and struck a grass edge. The car was then launched airborne through a vinyl fence and into the back of the home, crashing partially through the front of the house.
The crash also killed Lilly, Rein’s 14-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. The car’s owner and passenger, Travis Meisman, died at a local hospital, while other passengers, Colin Keeler, Sean Donahue, and Christopher French, sustained injuries.
Speaking to a local news outlet, Sergeant Steve Gaskins said the vehicle entered the whole house, blew out the wall and part of the roof, and killed the homeowner.
Although Tesla cars are known for their autopilot functionality, police have given no indication that Mongan was using this feature at the time of the crash.
