Turo-rented cars were involved in 2 deadly incidents this New Year’s. Here’s what we know
Associated PressNEW YORK — Two deadly incidents on New Year’s Day — an attack being investigated as an act of terrorism in New Orleans and an explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas — both involved vehicles that were rented on Turo, a peer-to-peer car sharing company. Early Wednesday, 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into a crowd in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter — killing 14 people who were celebrating the New Year. Turo said it is “shocked and saddened” Wednesday’s events and that “our hearts are with the victims and their families.” The company added that is “outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts.” While both incidents involved vehicles rented through Turo, the FBI has said that is has found “no definitive link” between the New Orleans attack and the Las Vegas explosion. It said every Turo renter is screened through a “multi-layer, data-science-based trust and safety process.” The men involved in the incidents had valid driver’s licenses, clean background checks, and were honorably discharged from the U.S. military, Turo noted Thursday.