WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US Motor Safety Agency said on Monday it was investigating an accident in Detroit on Thursday in which a Tesla got stuck under a tractor trailer and left a passenger in critical condition.
The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Monday it was “aware of the violent accident that occurred in Detroit on March 11 with a Tesla and a tractor trailer. We started a SCI (Special Crash Investigation) team around the accident. to investigate. ”
The crash happened Thursday at 3:20 a.m. when a white Tesla drove through an intersection and hit a trailer, Detroit police said Monday.
Both the driver and the passenger were taken to a local hospital, where the passenger was listed in critical condition. Police said the accident is still being investigated.
WDIV-TV in Detroit broadcast video of a badly damaged Tesla being broken under a tractor trailer, saying the injured passenger was a 21-year-old woman.
NHTSA had earlier launched about 14 SCI teams to investigate Tesla accidents possibly linked to the vehicle’s advanced Autopilot driver assistance system, but took no action against the carmaker.
It’s not clear if Autopilot could have been a factor in the Detroit crash.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Autopilot has been operating at least three Tesla vehicles involved in fatal U.S. accidents since 2016.
NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating other accidents in which a Tesla hit a trailer, including two fatal accidents in Florida.
In a crash in 2019, a Tesla hit a tractor trailer and the roof was cut off as it moved under the trailer and stopped three-tenths of a mile south of the collision. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
In May 2016, a driver of a Tesla Model S was killed near Williston, Florida, using Autopilot when he was towed in a tractor trailer that also cut off the vehicle’s roof.
Tesla advises drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel and pay attention when using Autopilot. However, some Tesla drivers say they avoid putting their hands on the steering wheel for longer when using Autopilot.
In February 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sharply criticized the lack of system security in Tesla in a fatal crash in 2018 with the Autopilot in California.
The NTSB can only make recommendations, while NHTSA regulates American vehicles.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Edited by Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast