Tesla on Autopilot crashes into tree and catches alight, two dead

Two men have died in a fiery crash after a Tesla “on autopilot with no one driving” crashed into a tree catching alight.

Two men have died in a fiery crash after a Tesla “on autopilot with no one driving” crashed into a tree catching alight.

The accident happened about 11.25pm on Saturday when the 2019 Model S hit a tree in the Carlton Woods in Spring, Houston, according to KPRC2.

Constable Mark Herman from Harris County Precinct 4 said their investigation found “no one was driving” the $118,000 electric vehicle when the accident happened — one person was in the front passenger seat, while another was in the rear passenger seat.

Constable Herman said no one else was believed to be in the car, and it’s believed to have burst into flames immediately.

RELATED: Ford upsets Tesla fans with a big dig at Musk

Two people died after a Tesla driving on autopilot caught alight. Picture: KPRC2

Firefighters were unable to extinguish the vehicle. Picture: KPRC2

RELATED: Wild new Tesla Cybertruck revealed

The Tesla is believed to have been travelling at a high speed when it failed to circle in a cul-de-sac and collided with a tree.

Tesla’s Autopilot mode is being investigated by federal regulators in the US, after 23 recent accidents in the US according to a recent report by the New York Times. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, maintains the autopilot mode makes cars safer than regular vehicles.

The brother-in-law of one of the passengers said he’d taken the car out with his best friend for a spin, and it was just the pair of them in the Tesla.

He believed he’d jumped into the back seat of the car and crashed a few hundred yards down the road. The owner was found in the back seat of the car sitting upright.

Authorities spent hours trying to extinguish the vehicle, as relatives watched on from the street, the brother-in-law said.

Some 121133 litres of water were used to extinguish the flames as the car’s batteries continued to reignite.

Authorities said both of the victims will undergo autopsies.

Originally published as Tesla on Autopilot crashes into tree and catches alight, two dead