Driver apparently slipped into the again seat in a wierd Tesla crash

Nationwide Transportation Security Board investigators have apparently solved the thriller of why nobody was discovered behind the wheel of a Tesla that crashed in Texas two years in the past, killing two males

From

TOM KRISHER AP Self-writer

Feb 8, 2023 6:54pm ET

• 3 minutes studying time

DETROIT — Investigators with the Nationwide Transportation Security Board have apparently solved the thriller of why nobody was discovered behind the wheel of a Tesla that crashed in Texas two years in the past, killing two males.

The company mentioned in an investigative report launched Wednesday into the April 17, 2021 fiery crash within the Houston suburb of Spring that the 59-year-old Tesla driver appeared to have gone into the again seat after crashing into the entrance airbag of the automobile banged and the steering wheel was deformed within the crash.

Though the accident raised questions on whether or not the automobile was working on Tesla’s Autopilot semi-automated driving system, the NTSB decided that the system couldn’t have been used on the highway the place the accident occurred on account of an absence of lane traces. Assessments confirmed that the automobile’s Site visitors Conscious Cruise Management system may have been used, though it could solely work as much as the suburban velocity restrict of fifty km/h, the report mentioned.

The 2019 Tesla reached 67 mph (108 km/h) for 2 seconds earlier than hitting the second of two bushes at 57 mph (92 km/h) earlier than being consumed by flames because the lithium-ion battery caught hearth.

Tesla’s occasion knowledge recorder confirmed that the fuel pedal was transferring “persistently with driver exercise” within the 5 seconds earlier than the impression and that the driving force’s seat belt was on when the impression occurred.

“Though the driving force’s seat was discovered vacant and the driving force was discovered within the left rear seat, obtainable proof signifies that the driving force was within the driver’s seat on the time of the accident and moved to the rear seat after the accident,” the report mentioned.

The company decided that rushing and failure to manage the automobile on account of alcohol impairment precipitated the accident. The report says checks by a Federal Aviation Administration lab confirmed the driving force had a blood alcohol stage of 0.151 grams per deciliter, almost double the Texas authorized restrict of 0.08. In keeping with the report, two over-the-counter sedating antihistamines have been additionally discovered within the driver’s blood.

Autopsies revealed the driving force died from blunt trauma, burns and smoke inhalation. The 69-year-old male passenger died from blunt pressure trauma to the torso and extremities and burns, the report mentioned.

The company mentioned safety video from the driving force’s dwelling confirmed the driving force and entrance passenger climbing into the entrance seats earlier than driving away from the house. The automobile went about 170 meters earlier than turning off the highway, hitting a storm channel inlet and a raised manhole, and sidestepping a tree earlier than hitting one other, the company mentioned.

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