Initial reports had indicated the driver was not behind the wheel at the time of impact, leading to questions about the potential role of the Autopilot driver-assist system in the crash. “There was no one in the driver’s seat,” a spokesperson for the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office told Reuters one day after the April 17 crash.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk disagreed with that assessment, tweeting that data culled from the wrecked car was consistent with an occupant behind the wheel and that Autopilot was not active at the time of the crash.
A post-crash fire destroyed the vehicle, including a data storage device inside the infotainment system. The NTSB said the car’s restraint control module has been recovered but was damaged in the fire. It is undergoing further analysis at the federal crash investigation agency’s laboratory.
