Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
U.S. agencies probe fatal Tesla crash believed to be driverless
Earlier DU thread: Two dead in Tesla crash in Texas that was believed to be driverless
______________________________________________________________________
Source: The Verge
Feds investigating fatal Tesla crash where no one was in the driver seat
The first fatal incident to involve a Tesla with no one in the driver’s seat
By Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk Apr 19, 2021, 11:42am EDT
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has dispatched a special team to investigate the fatal Tesla crash in Texas, in which two people were killed after their vehicle crashed into a tree with no one behind the steering wheel.
A spokesperson from the NHTSA said the agency is coordinating with local law enforcement to learn more about the incident and will “take appropriate steps” when investigators have gathered more information. The spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question about whether that would include a recall of Tesla’s Autopilot feature that was likely involved in the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates civilian transportation crashes, was also dispatching a team of investigators. The agency said it was sending two officials to Texas to examine the crash, with a particular focus on “the vehicle’s operation and the post-crash fire.”
Local authorities have yet to identify the two men, aged 59 and 69, who were killed in the crash. The duration of the fire, which lasted four hours and required 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish, is said to have made identification difficult.
The incident took place at 9PM local time in Spring, Texas. According to KHOU in Houston, investigators are “100 percent certain” that no one was in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash. Minutes before the crash, the wives of the men were said to overhear them talking about the Autopilot feature of the vehicle, which was a 2019 Tesla Model S, according to The New York Times.
-snip-
The first fatal incident to involve a Tesla with no one in the driver’s seat
By Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk Apr 19, 2021, 11:42am EDT
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has dispatched a special team to investigate the fatal Tesla crash in Texas, in which two people were killed after their vehicle crashed into a tree with no one behind the steering wheel.
A spokesperson from the NHTSA said the agency is coordinating with local law enforcement to learn more about the incident and will “take appropriate steps” when investigators have gathered more information. The spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question about whether that would include a recall of Tesla’s Autopilot feature that was likely involved in the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates civilian transportation crashes, was also dispatching a team of investigators. The agency said it was sending two officials to Texas to examine the crash, with a particular focus on “the vehicle’s operation and the post-crash fire.”
Link to tweet
Local authorities have yet to identify the two men, aged 59 and 69, who were killed in the crash. The duration of the fire, which lasted four hours and required 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish, is said to have made identification difficult.
The incident took place at 9PM local time in Spring, Texas. According to KHOU in Houston, investigators are “100 percent certain” that no one was in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash. Minutes before the crash, the wives of the men were said to overhear them talking about the Autopilot feature of the vehicle, which was a 2019 Tesla Model S, according to The New York Times.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/19/22391890/tesla-driverless-crash-texas-nhtsa-investigation