New Year’s Day Marred by Deadly Incidents Involving Rented Vehicles
Two separate deadly incidents involving vehicles rented through the peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo cast a shadow over New Year’s Day celebrations in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
In New Orleans, a pickup truck driven by Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed into a crowd in the French Quarter, resulting in 14 fatalities. Jabbar was later killed in a firefight with police. Authorities are investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism.
Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives detonated outside a hotel. The vehicle, rented through Turo in Colorado, was found to contain the body of Matthew Livelsberger, an active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret. Livelsberger had suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the explosion.
Turo, the car-sharing platform involved in both incidents, expressed shock and outrage at the misuse of their service. The company stated they are fully cooperating with law enforcement and sharing all relevant information.
The FBI is investigating both cases but has not yet established a definitive link between the two incidents, despite the common factor of Turo-rented vehicles.
These events have brought Turo, a peer-to-peer car-sharing company operating in several countries, into the spotlight. Founded in 2010 as “RelayRides” and rebranded in 2015, Turo allows car owners to rent their vehicles to others.
In response to concerns about safety, Turo emphasized its multi-layer trust and safety screening process for renters. The company noted that the individuals involved in these incidents had valid licenses and clean background checks, and would not have been flagged by traditional rental companies or law enforcement.
As investigations continue, these tragic events have raised questions about the safety measures in place within the growing peer-to-peer car-sharing industry.
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