Tesla Semi truck collision in Nevada kills couple in vehicle's first known fatality
· Toronto Sun
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A married couple was killed after being involved in a collision involving a Tesla Semi truck on a Nevada highway in the first known fatal crash involving the Semi.
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Nevada State Police Highway Patrol said two people died at the scene and another was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The incident took place Sunday morning on U.S. Route 50 in Dayton, about 80 kilometres east of Reno, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The Record Courier identified the deceased as Sergio and Jennifer Villanueva.
How did the crash happen?
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Department and Nevada Highway Patrol say the Villaneuvas were stopped at a traffic signal in their Volkswagen Beetle at around 7:20 a.m. when the 10-tonne Tesla Semi truck slammed into it from behind.
The couple died from injuries from the crash, while the driver of the Tesla truck wasn’t injured, Trooper James LaRose told Forbes .
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said preliminary statements from the scene hinted that the truck driver may have fallen asleep while operating the vehicle. The crash remains under investigation by the Nevada State Highway Patrol.
The identity of the truck driver, the vehicle’s owner or operator, or potential charges have not been revealed by authorities, the Chronicle reported.
What is a Tesla Semi?
The truck involved in the collision is a Tesla Semi, a Class 8 electric truck that the company was preparing to build in larger quantities in Nevada. The Semi is being manufactured at Tesla’s new high-volume line at Gigafactory Nevada, a 1.7 million-square-foot facility near Sparks, which is roughly an hour from the crash site, Electrek reported.
According to Tesla’s website , the Semi has active safety features that “ pair with advanced motor and brake controls to deliver traction and stability in all conditions.”
The crash comes as U.S. safety regulators debate whether heavy vehicles over 10,000 pounds require automatic emergency braking systems, per the Chronicle . Safety regulators argued the systems could reduce rear-end collisions.