2 dead in Tesla crash after car 'no one was driving' hits tree, authorities say

Wilson Wong
Updated ·2 min read
2 dead in Tesla crash after car 'no one was driving' hits tree, authorities say

Two men were killed in a Texas car crash Saturday after authorities said a Tesla that "no one was driving" hit a tree.

Deputies responded to a crash that occurred at 11:25 p.m. near the Woodlands, an area about 30 miles north of Houston, Mark Herman, the Harris County Precinct 4 constable, said Sunday. The vehicle, a 2019 Tesla Model S, was driving at high speed when it ran off the road, hit a tree, and burst into flames, he said.

Police respond to the site of a crash where a driverless Tesla collided with a tree in Houston on April 17, 2021, which killed two passengers in the car. (Scott J. Engle)
Police respond to the site of a crash where a driverless Tesla collided with a tree in Houston on April 17, 2021, which killed two passengers in the car. (Scott J. Engle)

Herman told NBC affiliate KPRC that a preliminary investigation revealed "no one was driving the car" when the accident occurred. One person was in the passenger seat and another was in the rear seat, he said.

Authorities identified the victims as two men ages 69 and 59. The names of the victims were not released as of Monday morning.

Deputies used more than 30,000 gallons of water to extinguish the flames because the vehicle's battery kept reigniting the fire, according to Herman. At some point during the fire, which lasted for about four hours, Herman said the responding officers had to call Tesla to determine how to put out the flames.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that investigators would probe the crash. The National Highway Transit Safety Administration was also investigating.

"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 agency said in a statement Monday.

In 2018, a 38-year-old driver was killed in Mountain View, California after a Tesla Model X that was on autopilot crashed into a concrete divider and caught fire. The company said at the time that no action had been taken by the driver, who had a 5-second view of the concrete divider.

And in 2016, a 40-year-old driver in Florida was killed in a Tesla Model S on autopilot that failed to stop when a tractor-trailer made a left turn in front of the vehicle.