NEW YORK — Two tragic events on New Year’s Day involving vehicles rented through the peer-to-peer car-sharing service Turo are currently under investigation, one viewed as a potential act of terrorism in New Orleans and the other concerning an explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas.
In the early hours of the New Year, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s celebrants in New Orleans’ renowned French Quarter, resulting in the deaths of 14 individuals. Jabbar was subsequently shot and killed by police during a firefight. A short while later, outside President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck that was loaded with explosives erupted into flames, leading to the death of its occupant, active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret Matthew Livelsberger, who was later found to have suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the incident.
Turo expressed deep sorrow regarding these events, stating, “our hearts are with the victims and their families,” and expressed outrage over the misuse of their service by individuals responsible for these incidents. Despite both incidents involving Turo-rented vehicles, federal investigators have reported finding “no definitive link” between the two occurrences.
The events have brought attention to Turo, prompting questions about the company’s operations. Turo functions as a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform, enabling car owners to rent out their vehicles directly to other drivers, referred to as “guests.” Hosts on the platform establish their own rental prices, availability, and delivery options, allowing guests to book vehicles through Turo’s website or application.
Recognized as “the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace,” Turo boasts operations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and France. The San Francisco-based company initiated its journey nearly 15 years ago, launching its first trip in May 2010, followed by a nationwide rollout in 2012. Initially branded as “RelayRides,” the company rebranded to Turo in 2015.
In its 12 years of operation, Turo has reported over 90 million booked days, 27 million journeys, and 8.6 billion miles (or 13.8 billion kilometers) driven as of September 30, 2024. Notably, less than 0.1% of trips booked through Turo result in serious incidents, including vehicle thefts.
Regarding the involvement of Turo in the New Year’s Day occurrences, investigators have yet to establish a connection between the explosive incident in Las Vegas and the attack in New Orleans. However, it is confirmed that both the Cybertruck and the pickup used in the latter event were rented from Turo. Authorities indicated that the Tesla involved in the blast had been rented in Colorado, and while they have identified the individual who rented it, their name will be withheld until further investigation clarifies if it matches the person deceased in the incident.
Turo has committed to cooperating with law enforcement and sharing pertinent information as investigations continue. The company underscored that neither of the individuals involved had any criminal histories that would signal them as threats, noting that all Turo renters go through a comprehensive screening process designed for trust and safety.
Both men had valid licenses with clean background checks and were honorably discharged from military service. Turo asserted that under the circumstances, these individuals could have easily accessed traditional car rental services or other public accommodations without alerting any safety protocols.
