Watch: West Wing actress Mary McCormack says husband's Tesla car shot flames
@marycmccormack/Twitter
LOS ANGELES (KTVU, AP) - Actor Mary McCormack has shared video of her husband's Tesla car shooting flames while in Southern California traffic.
McCormack said in an accompanying tweet Friday that there was "no accident" and the incident was "out of the blue."
She also expressed relief that the couple's three young daughters were not in the car at the time.
Sheriff's Lt. William Nash in West Hollywood said Saturday that deputies saw smoke coming from the electric vehicle and then fire.
Nash said the driver, who was not named in a log entry, was not injured.
Deputies requested help from firefighters who quickly extinguished the flames.
Tesla called the incident "an extraordinarily unusual occurrence" and said it is investigating.
"Our initial investigation shows that the cabin of the vehicle was totally unaffected by the fire due to our battery architecture, which is designed to protect the cabin in the very rare event that a battery fire occurs," the company said in a statement to KTVU. "While our customer had time to safely exit the car, we are working to understand the cause of the fire. We’re glad our customer is safe," Tesla added.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday it is sending a technical specialist to watch Tesla's examination of the Model S that caught fire Friday on a street in West Hollywood.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that it "continues to collect information regarding this incident and will take appropriate action as warranted."
The NTSB makes recommendations on transportation safety issues, while NHTSA has authority to seek regulations and recalls.
Representatives for McCormack did not immediately return a message Saturday seeking comment. She is married to director Michael Morris.