The National Transportation Safety Board is going to investigate the fiery car crash involving a Tesla Model S that killed two teenagers in Florida recently.
NTSB Opens Investigation Into Fatal Tesla S Model Crash
On Wednesday, May 9, the NTSB announced that it is initiating an investigation into the crash and fire of a 2014 Tesla Model S. The accident claimed the lives of two teenagers and injured one in Fort Lauderdale, Florida earlier this week.
The agency said the investigation will be led by a four-person team. The main focus of the investigation will be the post-crash fire that originated from the battery of the electric vehicle.
"The goal of these investigations is to understand the impact of these emerging transportation technologies when they are part of a transportation accident," Robert Sumwalt, NTSB Chairman, said in the press release.
Tesla vehicles are known to use Lithium-ion batteries, which can easily catch fire and burn rapidly in the event of a crash. However, Tesla has maintained that its electric vehicles catch fire far lesser compared to those powered by gasoline.
The NTSB also noted that it does not expect Tesla's semi-autonomous Autopilot system to be a part of the probe.
This isn't the first time the NTSB is looking into a fatal car crash involving a Tesla Model S in Florida. Last year, the agency investigated a Tesla Model S that killed a former Navy SEAL after he had crashed the Autopilot-enabled vehicle into a semitrailer truck.
The agency is also investigating another Tesla-related fire after a Model X SUV crashed on a freeway in California in March.
Police Believe Speed Played A Factor In The Fatal Crash
The Tesla Model S sedan was occupied by three teenagers, all aged 18. They were traveling southbound on Seabreeze Boulevard when the car drove off the road and crashed into a concrete wall, Detective Tracy Figone of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement.
Immediately after the collision, the vehicle caught on fire and became completely engulfed in flames. The police believe that the speed at which the vehicle was traveling played a factor in the crash, but could not identify the source of the fire.
The driver and one of the passengers died after they had been trapped inside the vehicle due to the blaze. The third teenager was thrown out of the vehicle and was rushed to a nearby hospital where his condition is unknown.
