A Tesla Semi electric truck crashed into two vehicles in Dayton, Nevada, over the weekend, killing two people and raising questions about the truck's safety features.
The Lyon County Sheriff's Office responded to a major collision around 7 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Highway 50 and Traditions Parkway, about 40 miles east of Reno, the office said.
The office confirmed that a truck was involved in the accident and images from the scene show it was a Tesla Semi.
It is the first known accident involving a Tesla Semi, a Class 8 electric truck that Tesla is building in Nevada and plans to increase production of. As interest in Tesla's electric passenger vehicles wanes, the company is betting on the truck to give it the needed boost.
The trucks don't have the full self-driving mode available on Tesla cars, but Tesla's website says they come standard “with active safety features that combine with advanced engine and brake controls to provide traction and stability in all conditions.”
According to the Lyon County Sheriff's Office, preliminary statements obtained at the scene suggest the truck driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
The crash is being investigated by the Nevada State Police Highway Patrol, which said additional information may be released next week.
The Record-Courier identified the victims as Sergio and Jennifer Villanueva, a couple who married in 2022.
Tesla has not clarified whether its truck has an automatic emergency braking system. Federal regulators are currently weighing the possibility of mandating emergency braking systems on vehicles over 10,000 pounds.
