Federal Agencies Probe Fatal Texas Tesla Crash With Empty Driver Seat
Two federal safety agencies launch investigations into a fatal Texas crash where authorities found no one in the driver's seat of a Tesla Model S. CEO Elon Musk denies that the vehicle's Autopilot system was active during the accident.
Two federal safety agencies, the NHTSA and NTSB, actively investigate a fatal crash in Texas where a Tesla Model S strikes a tree with no one in the driver's seat. Local authorities discover one victim in the front passenger seat and another in the rear, leading to immediate speculation that the vehicle's automated driving systems are responsible for the accident.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk pushes back against these theories by stating on Twitter that data logs show Autopilot was not enabled during the crash. He also notes that the specific vehicle does not have the Full Self-Driving package and points out that standard Autopilot requires lane lines, which the street lacks.
Despite Musk's public claims, local police state they do not yet have access to the vehicle's data and are securing search warrants to obtain it directly from the manufacturer. Witness statements indicate the two men leave a house without a driver to show off the car's self-driving capabilities before the high-speed collision occurs.