Two dead as ‘driverless’ Tesla car crashes in Texas

 

Two men have been killed in Texas after a Tesla vehicle, which was believed to be operating without anyone in the driver’s seat, crashed into a tree.

The 2019 Tesla Model S was reportedly traveling at high speed when it failed to negotiate a curve on a winding road.

According to CNBC, police sources revealed that the incident transpired on Saturday night.

It was gathered that nobody was behind the wheel as the victims were found in the front passenger seat and in the back seat of the Tesla.

While the disclosure was based on inconclusive preliminary investigations, firefighters were said to have used about 32,000 gallons of water and spent hours suppressing the fire that resulted from the electric vehicle crash.

New York Times also reported that the wives of the deceased riders had explained that they heard their husbands discuss that they wanted to go for a drive and were talking about the vehicle’s autopilot feature minutes before the crash.

Tesla sells automated driving systems under the brand Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving (FSD). It released the beta version of its FSD software to some customers who have the premium FSD option, which currently costs $10,000.

The US electric vehicle company had earlier explained that the human driver is meant to be fully alert and in control at all times. It added that it has also included systems in its cars that are supposed to ensure that the owners keep their hands on the wheel.

But in March, the US auto safety agency said it has opened 27 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles — with about three of the crashes occurring in the past weeks.