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US police offer reward for dangerous Tesla stunt driver

Police offer reward for dangerous Tesla stunt driver

US police are on the hunt for a reckless Tesla driver after a death-defying stunt in Los Angeles, with officials offering a monetary reward for information that leads to the identification of the daredevil.

Video emerged on Monday of the terrifying stunt, in which the Elon Musk-developed electric vehicle sped over a hill and become airborne, before crashing into bins and two other cars as it skidded out of control down an LA street.

The electric car was abandoned at the scene.

Multiple spectators can be seen on the Echo Park street filming the dangerous stunt, capturing footage on their phones of the Tesla driver soaring down the hill.

The Los Angeles Police Department offered a $US1000 ($1348) reward for information in relation to the stunt on Monday.

“When I got out here everybody had left and there was just an abandoned Tesla still turned on, smashed into the back of my car,” Echo Park resident and owner of one of the damaged vehicles, Jordan Hook told US media.

“Neighbours immediately started showing me videos of several Teslas that came down the hill following the one that jumped and crashed and they piled out of that crash.”

LAPD officials said the misdemeanour hit-and-run occurred in Echo Park last weekend.

NBC News reports police have since asked the public to stop calling their hotline, after receiving an influx of tips claiming a TikTok user, Dominykas Zeglaitis, also known as Durte Dom, was responsible.

“We have received over 50 tips and anticipate more due the story going viral,” LAPD Central Traffic Division said in a tweet.

“Over 90 per cent of the tips are of the same person who has a TikTok handle of @dominykas or @durtedom on Twitter. He is considered a person of interest based on the public postings on his account.”

LAPD officials said they had contacted Mr Zeglaitis, and asked any witnesses to come forward.

Mr Zeglaitis, who has more than 2.7 million followers on the social media platform, claimed responsibility for the incident, according to NBC in a recently deleted TikTok where he stated: “I just crashed my new Tesla”.

However, US media noted Mr Zeglaitis may not be the suspect, with LAPD officials stating on Sunday that the 2018 Tesla S-BLM involved in the stunt was a rental.

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