2 were killed after driverless Tesla crashed into tree and burst into flames

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) – Two people died Saturday night in a fire accident with a Tesla Model S, and the flames took hours to extinguish, authorities said.

It happened right after 9pm on Hammock Dunes Place in the Carlton Woods subdivision.

Firefighters and doctors were called to the scene after reports of an explosion in the forest after Tesla fled the road, authorities said.

Tesla was traveling from a cul-de-sac on Hammock Dunes Place and did not negotiate a curve. The vehicle crashed into a tree before bursting into flames.

Crews found two bodies inside the vehicle, a man in the front passenger seat and another man in the rear passenger seat.

The batteries on board Tesla continued to ignite despite efforts to extinguish the flames, authorities said. It took about four hours and 23,000 gallons of water before the flames were extinguished, firefighters said.

Tesla Model S is a fully electric car that has an autopilot feature. It was not clear if the car was in autopilot mode when the accident occurred.

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The victims’ identities were not released immediately.