The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a fatal crash in Virginia that may have involved Tesla’s Autopilot system. The 57-year-old died in July when the car he was driving hit a heavy truck.
According to a statement from the Sheriff’s office for Fauquier County, Virginia, where July’s fatal crash took place, the Tesla ran under the side of a tractor trailer after the truck’s driver tried to turn onto a highway. The truck driver was cited for reckless driving.
Last month’s crash is the latest in a string of such incidents NHTSA is investigating that involve Tesla’s semi-automated driving system. The agency said at least 17 people have died.
Tesla has been offering its Autopilot technology since 2015 for customers who pay a premium to activate it on their vehicles. The technology is “designed to assist you with the most burdensome parts of driving,” Tesla says on its web site. “Autopilot enables your car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane.”
Despite its name, Autopilot cannot drive a car completely by itself. According to Tesla’s web site, “current Autopilot features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
NHTSA’s newest investigation into Tesla’s driver-assistance system followed another special crash investigation the agency opened last month following a fatal crash in California on July 5. That crash took place in South Lake Tahoe and involved a 2018 Tesla Model 3 that collided head on with a 2013 Subaru Impreza, killing its 17-year-old driver and a three-month-old passenger in the Tesla.
