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Tesla on autopilot hits firetruck; Elon Musk announces reorganization

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A Tesla Model S that crashed into a stopped fire truck was operating in autopilot mode, Utah police said.
May 15 (UPI) — A Tesla Model S that crashed into a stopped fire truck was operating in autopilot mode, Utah police said.
The 28-year-old driver told police she was looking at her phone as the car slammed into the truck at about 60 mph in South Jordan, Utah.
The woman suffered only a broken foot in the crash. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that was the real story — the vehicle’s safety.
« It’s super messed up that a Tesla crash resulting in a broken ankle is front page news and the ~40,000 people who died in U. S. auto accidents alone in past year get almost no coverage, » Musk tweeted .
« What’s actually amazing about this accident is that a Model S hit a fire truck at 60 mph and the driver only broke an ankle. An impact at that speed usually results in severe injury or death, » the CEO tweeted.
The driver of the fire truck was evaluated for whiplash but was not hospitalized.
Tesla has come under scrutiny for recent accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a Tesla crash in Florida last week that killed two high school students.
In March, a Tesla Model X was on autopilot mode when it collided with a barrier on Highway 101 in Mountain View, Calif., killing the 38-year-old driver.
Tesla has said that autopilot requires constant vigilance and is not meant to take over driving responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Musk told employees Monday that the company plans to « flatten » its structure while working to improve communication and trim actions « that are not vital » to the company’s success.
« To ensure that Tesla is well-prepared for the future, we have been undertaking a thorough reorganization of our company, » Musk said in the memo, obtained by CNBC.
Tesla will « continue to hire rapidly in critical hourly and salaried positions to support the Model 3 production ramp and future product development, » according to the memo.
Earlier this month, Musk said Tesla Motors will build a new factory this year to handle increased production — setting off a competition among cities and states for the site.
Musk said existing Tesla plants are « jammed to the gills, » so a new factory will produce the automaker’s first mass-market-priced SUV, the Model Y, and include a battery plant that will create thousands of new jobs.

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