U.S. auto safety regulators have launched a special investigation into a fatal crash involving a Tesla vehicle that killed three people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed the investigation on Wednesday, confirming that the vehicle is a 2022 Tesla Model S. The Model S is the latest in a series of crashes that NHTSA is investigating possibly related to semi-autonomous driving features.
An NHTSA spokesman declined to comment further on the agency’s investigation on Wednesday or to confirm details of the accident that sparked the latest investigation. NHTSA has disclosed that it is investigating more than 30 serious crashes involving Tesla vehicles allegedly using Autopilot. A number of other Tesla crashes on the investigation list also resulted in fatalities, NHTSA records show.
Tesla has yet to comment. The company has long said that driving with Autopilot enabled is safer than not using it.