The Tesla that hit and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle in April was running on the car’s self-driving system at the time of the crash, the Washington State Patrol confirmed to NBC News on Wednesday.
The crash happened April 19 when the Tesla driver, a 56-year-old man from Snohomish County, was driving on autopilot behind the motorcycle on eastbound State Route 522 east of Maltby, the state patrol said.
The driver told authorities that he was looking down, distracted by his phone, when “the next thing he knew, there was a bang,” and the Tesla hit the motorcycle, said a statement of probable cause said, NBC affiliate KING of Seattle reported.
Jeffrey Nissen, 28, of Stanwood was ejected from the motorcycle and died at the scene, authorities said.
Chris Loftis, a spokesperson for the state patrol, told NBC News on Wednesday that the Criminal Investigative Division confirmed the vehicle was in "Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) mode" at the time of the collision.
The conclusion was reached after information was downloaded from the car's event-data recorder, State Patrol Capt. Deion Glover told The Associated Press.
Loftis said it's illegal to drive in self-driving mode without "active control and attention of the driver. Bottom line — if you are behind the wheel, you are responsible and must be in full awareness."
The car — a 2022 Tesla Model S — was not impaired at the time of the collision, according to the state patrol.
The driver, who was not named, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide based on his admission that he was distracted while he was using the autopilot feature. However, the driver was not officially charged. He posted bond before his initial hearing, and the case was referred to the prosecutor for an out-of-custody charging decision, authorities said.
The investigation continues, and the Snohomish County prosecutor will ultimately determine whether any charges will be filed.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.