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Tesla (Photo: Jeremy/Wikimedia Commons)
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Tesla (Photo: Jeremy/Wikimedia Commons)
Thursday, 8 September 2016 - 10:36
Tesla: Autopilot not to blame in fatal Netherlands crash
Electric car maker Tesla released a statement saying that a fatal accident with one of its cars in Baarn on Wednesday was not caused by the car's autopilot or self-driving system. According to the company, the autopilot was not turned on and the man was driving more than 155 kilometers per hour when he crashed into a tree and died, news wire AP reports.
The Dutch authorities have not released an official report on the accident as of yet. A spokesperson for the police said to Dutch broadcaster NOS that the accident is still being independently investigated. The police will not comment on Tesla's statement until that investigation is complete.
According to Tesla, the car's logs show that the autopilot was not activated and the speed the man drove at the time of the crash. The speed is consistent with the damage the car sustained in the accident, the company said.
Tesla sent technicians to the scene of the crash on Wednesday to investigate exactly what happened. The technicians also assisted firefighters in removing the victim's body from the car. The car was so badly damaged that the fire department was unsure on how to approach it without any rescuers being electrocuted.
The car involved in the accident was a Tesla Model S sedan.