NTSB Confirms Probe Into Another Tesla Autopilot Crash

Federal safety investigators dispatched to probe collision involving electric car and firetruck in California.
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Federal safety investigators are looking into a crash involving a Tesla S sedan and firetruck on a highway near Los Angeles.

The National Transportation Safety Board has opened a probe into Monday’s accident, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed in an email.

The NTSB has dispatched two investigators to oversee a field investigation following the crash, which had a Tesla rear-ending an emergency vehicle. The agency said it would focus on the driver’s action as well as how the vehicle was operating.

The probe is the second by the NTSB into an accident involving Tesla’s autopilot feature, which includes cruise control and automatic steering systems. Still, the electric-car maker has said the person behind the wheel should be paying attention and be ready to take control.

The latest accident had the Tesla traveling at a speed of about 65 mph with the car’s autopilot driver-assist system active when it hit the firetruck, firefighters said in a tweet. “Amazingly there were no injuries! Please stay alert while driving!” the union added.

The firetruck was stopped in an emergency lane on the side of the highway with its lights flashing when the collision occurred, according to the Mercury News. The Tesla was significantly damaged and the truck taken out of service, the paper said. The driver declined treatment.