A married couple was killed in a collision involving a Tesla Semi truck on a Nevada highway, marking the first known fatal crash involving the vehicle. Nevada State Police Highway Patrol reported that two people died at the scene, while another was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning on U.S. Route 50 in Dayton, about 80 kilometres east of Reno. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Department and Nevada Highway Patrol stated that the couple, Sergio and Jennifer Villanueva, were stopped at a traffic signal in their Volkswagen Beetle when the 10-tonne Tesla Semi truck slammed into it from behind.
The couple died from injuries sustained in the crash, while the driver of the Tesla truck was not injured. Preliminary statements from the scene hinted that the truck driver may have fallen asleep while operating the vehicle, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office. The crash remains under investigation by the Nevada State Highway Patrol.
The Tesla Semi is a Class 8 electric truck manufactured at Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada, a 1.7 million-square-foot facility near Sparks. The Semi features active safety features that pair with advanced motor and brake controls to deliver traction and stability in all conditions, according to Tesla’s website.
The crash raises questions about the safety of heavy vehicles and the need for automatic emergency braking systems. U.S. safety regulators are debating whether such systems could reduce rear-end collisions and potentially save lives.
