Overview
- A Tesla Model Y driven north of Port Germein on October 19 was hit by an unidentified object, producing a deafening bang, white smoke, a cratered windscreen that felt warm, and minor cuts, yet the car remained drivable.
- Museum scientists have removed the intact windscreen for testing after noting signs consistent with extreme heat, including slight melting and discolored acrylic layers.
- Experts are split: the museum’s minerals and meteorites manager says the car was struck by something hot, while fireball specialists highlight the lack of a visible fireball and note meteorites typically cool before landing.
- No usable footage or flash was captured by the car’s cameras and no regional fireball reports have been confirmed under otherwise clear skies, leaving the cause unresolved.
- If laboratory results indicate a meteorite, the case could be the first recorded strike on a moving vehicle and would trigger a museum-led field search under South Australian laws that assign meteorites to Crown custody.