The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the second crash involving a Tesla vehicle with an Autopilot system. The NHTSA is trying to find out if the Autopilot system was in use at the time of the accident.
While Tesla asserts there is no evidence to suggest Autopilot was in use at the time of the collision, the NHTSA is gathering data from Tesla, the driver involved in the accident and the police.
The accident happened on July 1st on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when the Tesla SUV hit a guardrail, careened into a median and rolled over. The driver was not seriously injured and was recently released from the hospital. The Pennsylvania State Police have withheld more details about the crash because this is an active investigation.
Tesla received an alert from the SUV which said that the airbags had deployed. Tesla did not get more information. That might mean that the antenna that sends data to the company was damaged in the accident.
Tesla has warned that Autopilot is only supposed to be used as “auto-assist” where drivers are to maintain their hands on or close to the steering wheel. But some drivers have posted videos to social media in which the vehicles were operated hands-free.
The first Tesla crash happened in May in Florida and the driver died when his sedan hit a tractor trailer. A witness stated that the vehicle appeared to be on Autopilot after colliding with the tractor-trailer. The tractor-trailer sliced off the top of the Tesla when the car drove under the tractor-trailer.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a car crash, contact the Harrisburg Car Accident Lawyers at Schmidt Kramer. We will work to find out if you are entitled to compensation. We want you to get every penny you deserve. We work for injured people like you, not car makers or insurance companies.
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