Turo-rented cars were involved in 2 deadly incidents this New Year’s. Here’s what we know
Jan 2, 2025, 10:00 PM
FILE - The Turo logo is shown in the entryway of Turo in San Francisco, April 29, 2019. (Eric Risberg, Associated Press)
(Eric Risberg, Associated Press)
NEW 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. Police fatally shot Jabbar in a firefight.
Just hours after, outside of President-elect Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives also burst into flames. The person inside, identified as active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret Matthew Livelsberger, died. Officials later said he suffered a gunshot wound to the head before the explosion.
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.
Still, the incidents have put a spotlight on the car-sharing platform. Here’s what we know about Turo.
What is Turo?
Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing company. The online platform allows car owners to rent their own vehicles directly to other nearby drivers, or “guests.” “Hosts” set their prices, availability and delivery options for renters to choose from and book via Turo’s website or app.
Turo bills itself as “the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace. The company said it operates through a network of hosts across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and France.
The origins of the San Francisco-based company date back almost 15 years, with its first trip completed in May 2010 and nationwide launch later arriving in 2012. The platform was originally introduced as “RelayRides,” but rebranded to Turo in 2015.
There’s more to this story at the Associated Press website.
