GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A driver and their passenger were killed when the Tesla car they were traveling in crashed into the back of a semi-truck just off Interstate 75, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash happened just before 2 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of the Paynes Prairie rest area, a crash report reads.
Troopers say the semi-truck, driven by a 58-year-old man from Ruskin, Florida, was parked in the southbound rest area parking lot. The Tesla entered the lot and somehow crashed into the back of the semi.
A photo provided by Florida troopers showed the front half of the car crushed by the trailer.
The Tesla driver, a 66-year-old woman, and passenger, a 67-year-old man — both from Lompoc, California — died at the scene of the crash, troopers said. Gainesville Fire Rescue reportedly helped to remove the couple from their car.
The crash report indicated the man was wearing a seat belt; it is unknown whether the woman was secured to her seat. At this point, an FHP spokesperson said, it is too early in the investigation to tell whether anything was wrong with the car, including its Autopilot features.
