A Tesla Model S crashed and burst into flames following the accident in Pleasanton, California, on Saturday, killing the driver, according to police.
The driver, whose identity is currently not known, died in the single-car incident. No one else was harmed. Police have not yet figured out if drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.
The crash was reported around 6 p.m. at the intersection of West Las Positas Boulevard and Hacienda Drive. The car was on fire when officers reached the affected location.
As the Tesla headed southbound on Hacienda, the driver seemed to have lost control over speed, causing a crash with a traffic signal and a cement wall, police stated.
The intersection had been shut down for several hours.
This was not the end of the incident. “After the 2018 Tesla Model S was cleared from the scene, the vehicle’s battery reignited and crews were sent to contain the fire,” Pleasanton police wrote on update on Facebook.
Anyone with additional details about the incident is urged to call 925-931-5100.
Tesla’s electric cars have an automated driver-assist system and have been blamed for numerous crashes, including incidents where drivers let the autopilot drive the car itself while they slept or watched videos, and also unexpected swerves or lane changes.
Tesla has clarified that autopilot is not intended to replace an alert human driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently reviewing the allegations that Teslas can suddenly accelerate on its own. The agency has recorded 127 owner complaints about this phenomenon that resulted in 110 crashes and involved 52 injuries.
