Feds launch probe over Tesla's auto pilot after driver dies

WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- Federal regulators have launched a preliminary investigation into the autopilot feature on Tesla Model S car after a person was killed using the system, Tesla said Thursday.

The fatal crash is considered the first of its kind in auto history and poses serious questions about the viability of the technology and follows other crashes involving the system.

A driver in Williston, Fla. was killed May 7 when a big rig suddenly turned left in front of his 2015 Model S, with the electric car passing under the truck's trailer and smashing the windshield.

"Neither autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor-trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied," Tesla said on a blog post.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's probe covers about 25,000 Tesla cars to "examine the design and performance of any automated driving systems in use at the time of the crash."

"The opening of the preliminary evaluation should not be construed as a finding that the Office of Defects Investigation believes there is either a presence or absence of a defect in the subject vehicles," NHTSA said.