(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into a fatal accident involving a Tesla Motors Inc. sedan when the electric-auto maker’s Autopilot software was engaged.
The incident, which occurred on May 7 in Williston, Florida, was reported to NHTSA by Tesla. Shares in the automaker fell 2.7% to $206.50 at 4:50 p.m. New York time after closing regular trading up 1% at $212.28.
|Extremely rare circumstance
Tesla has always prided itself on its safety record. In August 2013, the Model S sedan was awarded a 5-star safety rating by NHTSA. The company’s website states that “Model S comes with Autopilot capabilities designed to make your highway driving not only safer, but stress free.”
In a blog post published Thursday, Tesla said that the fatal crash is the first known fatality in more than 130 million miles of Autopilot driving.
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