DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is primarily known for bringing animated characters to life on the big screen, but he’s been in the news this week for a much gloomier reason.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Katzenberg was involved in an accident while driving his Tesla Model S on Oct. 19, and while the Hollywood executive has been released from the hospital, the wreck left him with serious injuries and a totaled vehicle. Details of the accident ware slim at the moment, but Katzenberg clearly feels like the electric luxury car saved him from further harm.
“Thank you, Elon Musk — you saved my life,” Katzenberg told The Hollywood Reporter. “I shattered my arm and wrist and destroyed the car. It was pretty bad. It was a big surgery and not fun.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk was quick to respond on Twitter, saying, “Compliment from Jeffrey is much appreciated, but the people of Tesla deserve all the credit.”
The Model S was awarded a five-star overall safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2013, and Katzenberg isn’t the only Tesla owner that’s thankful for that.
A woman and child in Bergen, Norway, recently found themselves caught in a landslide while in a Model S 60. A large section of earth broke free and pushed the car close to the edge of a cliff, and to make matters worse, a large tree fell on top of it. Most cars would have been obliterated by an impact like that, and although the Model S suffered a destroyed hood, dented roof, ruined front fascia, and a bevy of cracked glass, the body structure held and both occupants made it out safely. You can read more details about the story right here.
