Utah police probe if autopilot played role in Tesla crash
Model S rear-ended a fire department truck at 60 mph.
Police in Utah are investigating whether a fast-moving Tesla car that rear-ended a fire truck on Friday was in autopilot mode.
The Tesla Model S was moving at 60 mph when it hit a truck that was stopped at a red light around 6:30 p.m., the South Jordan Police Department said.
Sgt. Samuel Winkler said the car's air bags were activated and that the Tesla's 28-year-old driver suffered a broken right ankle, while the driver of the mechanic truck didn't require treatment. (South Jordan Police Department via AP)
The car's brakes — according to witnesses — apparently were not deployed before the crash.
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“For unknown reasons, the Tesla failed to stop for the traffic at the red light and ran into the back of the Unified Fire Authority vehicle at 60 miles per hour,” Sgt. Samuel Winkler said, according to Fox 13.
Police said it's not immediately known whether the Tesla's autopilot driving system was in use when it rear-ended a truck apparently without braking before impact at approximately 60 mph. (South Jordan Police Department via AP)
While the truck driver was not injured in the accident, the Tesla's driver, a 28-year-old female, suffered a broken ankle.
The crash came less than a week after federal investigators said they planned to investigate whether a Tesla, which crashed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was using the semi-autonomous driving system. Two high school students were killed and a third was seriously hurt.