Skip to main content

Two deaths in Tesla crash with no driver

Victims found in the front and back seats - but this was not an autonomous vehicle
By Ben Spencer April 21, 2021 Read time: 1 min
Tesla says data recovered so far showed Autopilot was not enabled (© Sylvain Robin | Dreamstime.com)

Two men were killed after a Tesla vehicle crashed into a tree in Houston, Texas, sparking an investigation.

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

A report by the BBC says police believe there was nobody present in the driver's seat at the time of the accident. 

Mark Herman, Harris County Precinct 4 constable, is quoted as saying that evidence suggests “no-one was driving the vehicle at the time of impact”. 

He added that the case was still under investigation. 

One victim was found in the front passenger seat and the other was in the back of the vehicle. 

Tesla says data recovered so far showed the Autopilot advanced driver assistance system was not enabled. 

A Tesla Model X operating in autopilot claimed the life of a driver in 2018 after the vehicle crashed into a roadside barrier in California. 

During the same year, Uber pulled out of its autonomous vehicle operation in Arizona after one of its test vehicles killed a pedestrian.

 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Traffic monitoring and hard shoulder running
    March 1, 2013
    Hard shoulder running is on the increase – and the detection and monitoring of incidents on affected roads is occupying the minds of experts across Europe and the US
  • TEST Controls has international test appeal
    March 27, 2013
    Founded in Milan in 1968 with the aim of manufacturing and distributing testing instruments, machines and systems for the construction and civil engineering industries, Controls is now a leading and globally-renowned producer of testing equipment. With branches in France, Mexico, Poland, Spain and the UK, and with more than 100 qualified distributors across the world, Controls says it can satisfy customers with its operating efficiency, technical know-how and after sales care.
  • Safety first in the Big Apple
    August 19, 2022
    For a variety of reasons, seniors are particularly vulnerable to traffic violence – but better road design can help. Adam Hill examines New York City’s new plan to keep older people from becoming collision statistics
  • Growth of legislation in favour of US enforcement market
    February 1, 2012
    The automated road safety enforcement industry in the United States had a very robust 2010. The industry continued to grow to the point that providers now have nearly 5,000 cameras deployed in 25 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with more than 650 communities utilising such life-saving technology. Intersection safety cameras are the most common application but more communities are also implementing road safety camera programmes to deter excessive speeding. Deploying cameras to protect children