Tesla says it appears driver was at the wheel in crash

The remains of a Tesla vehicle are seen after it crashed in The Woodlands, Texas, on April 17, 2021, in this still image from video obtained via social media. The accident, which killed two people, involved a Tesla Model S that caught fire after hitting a tree late on April 17 near Houston. Investigators found no one in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, local police said. — SCOTT J. ENGLE via Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Tesla said on April 26 scrutiny of wreckage from a fatal crash in Texas indicates that someone was at the wheel, contrary to an early report that the driver’s seat was empty.

During an earnings call, the electric car maker defended itself anew against a report that a Tesla had been fooled into driving with no one behind the wheel, with tragic results.