Tesla driver killed in first fatal crash while using autopilot

An investigation is underway regarding a fatal crash in Florida last month involving a tractor trailer and a Tesla Model S with the autopilot feature deployed.

Tesla says this is the first known fatal crash of its kind involving the Model S. In a statement, Tesla said the vehicle was driving on a divided highway with the autopilot on, when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S. "Neither autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied," the statement said. The victim was killed after the car went under the tractor trailer. "Had the Model S impacted the front or rear of the trailer, even at high speed, its advanced crash safety system would likely have prevented serious injury as it has in numerous other similar incidents," Tesla said.

The autopilot function can slow the car down when approaching potentially dangerous curves, park the car, and change lanes. U.S. regulators are expected to release guidelines later this summer for driverless cars, The Wall Street Journal reports.

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