On May 18–19, KVUE reported a North Texas driver arrested after driving a Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake to test the vehicle's advertised 'Wade Mode' feature. The Texas Tribune, in the same window, reported a worker death at SpaceX's Starbase facility triggering an OSHA investigation. The two events share a calendar date and a corporate family tree; neither outlet connected them to the other.
Side A
Grapevine Lake: A Feature Test Ends in an Arrest
A driver was jailed after steering a Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake, telling police the purpose was to test the vehicle's 'Wade Mode' capability, according to KVUE. Wade Mode is a Tesla-marketed feature that prepares the Cybertruck for shallow water crossings. The arrest raises a question no outlet has yet pursued: what role, if any, the feature's marketing played in the driver's decision to attempt the crossing. KVUE covered the incident as a brief.
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Starbase: A Worker Death and Seven Prior OSHA Violations
A worker died at SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas, prompting a workplace safety investigation, the Texas Tribune reported on May 19. The death came after SpaceX had already accumulated seven OSHA violations in the preceding year. Despite the fatality, a rocket launch remained scheduled for May 21. The investigation is ongoing.
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