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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Auto Safety Agency said Monday it was investigating an accident in Detroit on Thursday involving a Tesla that got stuck under a trailer truck and left a passenger in critical condition.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Monday it was “aware of the violent accident on March 11 in Detroit involving a Tesla and a tractor-trailer. We launched a Special Accident Investigation Team (SCI) to investigate the accident. “
The crash happened at 3:20 a.m. Thursday when a white Tesla crossed an intersection and struck a trailer, Detroit police said on Monday.
The driver and passenger were taken to a local hospital, where the passenger was listed in critical condition. Police said the accident was still under investigation.
WDIV-TV in Detroit broadcast video of a badly damaged Tesla crashed under a trailer truck and said the injured passenger was a 21-year-old female.
NHTSA has already launched at least 14 SCI teams to investigate Tesla crashes that could be related to the vehicle’s advanced autopilot driver assistance system, but has taken no action against the automaker in the wake of the these probes.
It is not clear if the autopilot could have been a factor in the Detroit crash.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Autopilot has been engaged in at least three Tesla vehicles involved in fatal crashes in the United States since 2016.
The NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board have investigated other crashes in which a Tesla struck a trailer, including two fatal crashes in Florida.
In a 2019 accident, a Tesla struck a tractor trailer and the roof was sheared as it went under the trailer and came to rest three-tenths of a mile south of the collision. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
In May 2016, a Tesla Model S driver was killed near Williston, Florida using autopilot when he crashed into a trailer truck which also sheared the roof of the vehicle.
Tesla advises drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and be careful when using the autopilot. However, some Tesla drivers say they can avoid putting their hands on the wheel for long periods of time when using autopilot.
In February 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sharply criticized Tesla’s lack of protection in a fatal autopilot crash in 2018 in California and called the approach of US regulators to oversee the assistance system. to “misguided” conduct.
The NTSB can only make recommendations, while the NHTSA regulates American vehicles.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast
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