The remains of a Tesla vehicle are seen after it crashed in The Woodlands, Texas, April 17, 2021, in this static image from videos obtained through social networks. Video made on April 17, 2021. SCOTT J. ENGLE through REUTERS
One of the two victims killed in Texas over the weekend in the crash of a Tesla car that is believed to operate without a driver was William Varner, a doctor, his employer said on Tuesday.
The Tesla Model S broke into a tree near Houston on Saturday night and burst into flames, killing an occupant found in the front passenger seat and the owner in the back seat, police said.
Witnesses told police the accident occurred shortly after the victims left a home, saying they would test their ability to drive automatically. Read more
“Dr. Varner was an extraordinary human being who personally affected many …” Hermann Memorial said in a statement to The Woodlands Medical Center. “He will miss many.”
Varner, a 58-year-old anesthetist, graduated from the University of Texas Galveston Medical Branch in 1988.
“We were saddened to hear of the death of one of our doctors over the weekend. Dr. Varner has spent his life caring for others, and now we are focusing on caring for his colleagues and family, helping them cope with this sudden and unexpected loss, “US Anesthesia Partners said in a statement to Reuters .
The other victim, who was born in 1951, has not been identified since Tuesday.
Texas police told Reuters they would look for search warrants to secure vehicle data after Tesla chief executive Elon Musk wrote on Twitter that his data showed the vehicle was not operating on autopilot.
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