Police have launched an investigation into a Tesla crash in Utah. Investigators want to find whether the Tesla electric vehicle had the Autopilot mode on when the Model S rammed into a fire truck stopped at a red light on Friday.
- South Jordan Police reported that the sedan was driving at 60 mph when it hit the truck.
- There were no signs of braking ahead of the impact in Salt Lake City.
The latest crash happened just two days after a fatal crash involving a Tesla car in Florida. In that crash, three 18-year-old boys were killed, and one was injured. Investigators believe that speeding might have caused that accident.
In the Utah crash, the airbags were deployed, and the driver broke only his right ankle. The driver of the fire department truck was unharmed, according to the South Jordan police.
More Details on the Tesla Crash in Utah to be Released This Week
Police said the Model S’ driver was not under influence. Investigators will release the driver’s version of the events on Monday. When the accident happened, the road was wet due to light raining in the area.
Several witnesses said they didn’t see the driver hit the brakes before the collision.
Tesla’s cars are equipped with radar, cameras, and computers that can enable the Autopilot to assist the driver. The car’s computer can change lanes, maintain a certain speed, and stop the vehicle.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company insists that the Autopilot is not a fully autonomous mode, and drivers should keep their hands on the wheel and the eyes on the road at all times. This way they can quickly take over and prevent crashes.
On Sunday, a spokesperson for the company said that Tesla had not received yet any information from the car’s system, so it couldn’t comment on the crash. It wasn’t immediately clear for the company either whether the Autopilot was switched on.
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