WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Two people were killed after a driverless Tesla crashed into a tree on Saturday in north of Houston, Texas.
According to authorities, there was no one in the driver's seat, although it is not clear whether the car's driver-assist system Autopilot was being used.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has sent a Special Crash Investigation team to look into the crash of the electric car.
'We are actively engaged with local law enforcement and Tesla to learn more about the details of the crash and will take appropriate steps when we have more information,' the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
Harris County Precinct Four Constable Mark Herman says that investigators are '100% sure' that no one was driving the 2019 Tesla Model S.
'They feel very confident just with the positioning of the bodies after the impact that there was no one driving that vehicle,' Herman told CBS affiliate KHOU-TV.
The 2019 Tesla Model S was traveling at a high rate of speed, when it failed to negotiate a curve and went off the roadway, crashing to a tree and bursting into flames.
However, the investigators are checking whether the electric car was operating on Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system or if the company's 'Full Self-Driving Capability' system was in use.
Tesla warns customers that its Autopilot system is not an autonomous-driving program, and there must be always be a driver ready to take control of the vehicle.
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