Tesla Model S: First Death On Autopilot Mode Results To US Probe

A man was killed after its autopilot vehicle crashed into a tractor trailer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now investigating the death as well as the carmaker, Tesla.

Engadget reported that the vehicle was in autopilot mode and this is the first ever recorded death linked to Tesla regarding the Tesla Model S, a semi-autonomous driving vehicle. Tesla said in a statement that the vehicle was traveling down a divided highway and the tractor trailer crossed the path of the car. The vehicle or the driver did not hit the brakes. Tesla believes that the white tractor and the bright sky might have made it difficult for the vehicle's system to detect the trailer.

Tesla continued to explain that the height of the tractor could have also been one of the factors for the crash. The windshield of the car struck the container of the tractor then passed under it. Tesla believes that its crash safety system would have prevented the accident if the front of the Tesla Model S hit the truck itself.

The collision reportedly took place on May 7 in Williston Florida. It is unclear why the details about the crash surfaced just now but Tesla said that they have informed NHTSA about the incident resulting to an investigation.

The driver is said to be Joshua Brown, 40, and is an active member of the Tesla Reddit forum. Tesla said that Brown had a "family and we are beyond saddened by their loss. He was a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community, a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla's mission. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends." Accordingly, Brown even praised Tesla for its autopilot system a month before the fatal crash.

The owner of the tractor, Frank Baressi, 62, claimed that the owner of the Tesla vehicle was playing "Harry Potter" on the TV screen and was driving so quickly.

Tesla's Autopilot feature is still in beta and the company reminds drivers to remain alert when they are driving despite the autopilot mode on. Crashes were reported in the past months linked to the autopilot mode but only resulted to minor destruction to the vehicles itself and not the drivers.

The death comes months after a man was spotted sleeping in his vehicle while the car was on Autopilot mode. The video has since became viral.

The family of the man has not yet released a statement.