The men in Texas killed in a car accident with a self-driving Tesla Model S were friends who took the car to a turn after leaving their wives, officials said.
Dr. Will Varner, 59, and Everett Talbot, 69, both died when the driverless car crashed into a tree and crashed Saturday night in The Woodlands, a Houston neighborhood. reported the KTRK news station.
None of the men were believed to be driving at the time of the crash.
Varner, an anesthetist believed to be the owner of the car, was found in the back seat, while Talbot, who ran a financial firm, was in the passenger seat, the Daily Mail reported.
“We are going through a living hell now. As his daughter, I asked everyone to wait for the investigation to be completed, “Talbot’s daughter told reporters.
The National Administration for Highway Traffic Safety and the National Council for Transportation Safety have said they will send teams to investigate the fatal accident.
Harris County Precinct 4 driver Mark Herman said officials were “very confident only in the positioning of the bodies after the impact that there was no one to drive that vehicle,” the KHOU news station reported.
But Tesla CEO Elon Musk denied on Monday on Twitter that the car was on autopilot.
“Data logs recovered so far show that autopilot has not been activated and this machine has not purchased FSD” he said, referring to premium Full Service management software, which costs $ 10,000.
“Moreover, the standard autopilot would require the start of lane lines, which this street did not have,” he added.
The fatal accident occurred on Saturday just moments after the men left their wives in a house in the spring and left in the vehicle for a test drive, KTRK reported.
Varner was mentioned by his employer, Memorial Hermann, in a statement.
“Dr. Varner was an extraordinary human being who personally influenced many over the years of the Hermann Memorial family The Woodlands Medical Center over the years, “said the statement obtained by KTRK.
“Our thoughts and prayers are addressed to his entire family, as well as to those who have had the privilege of working and serving with him in various positions. So many will miss him. ”
