Associated Incidents
Joshua Brown, 40, had DVD player inside Tesla at time of crash, meaning he could have been watching Harry Potter film despite earlier claims by car firm
The first man to die behind the wheel of a self-driving car had a DVD player with him meaning it was possible for him to be watching a Harry Potter film as he died, police have revealed.
Joshua Brown, 40, a former Navy SEAL, was killed in Florida back in May after his computer-controlled Tesla Model S plowed into a tractor trailer despite the autopilot feature being on.
Tesla had previously said that it is impossible to watch films on the touchscreen tablets mounted in their vehicles, but police have now confirmed that Brown had another device with him that was capable of playing the movie.
Frank Baressi, 62, the driver of the truck, claims he heard the film at the time of the crash, and that it was still playing as the car careened into a telephone pole a quarter of a mile along the road near the town of Williston.
The exact details may never be known, however, as police say there was no internal camera recording the moments leading up to the fatal collision.
Officers also revealed that Brown had accumulated eight speeding tickets in recent years, as a friend described him as a speed freak who went in search of excitement.
Terri Lyn Reed, a friend and insurance agent in Ohio who covered Brown's business, said he was always up for an adventure and loved motorcycles and fast cars.
Reed says Brown 'had the need for speed', was 'kind of a daredevil' and had no fear.
Meanwhile family members said Brown was 'obsessed' with his Tesla car, which he had affectionately nicknamed 'Tessy'.
Tesla said it was impossible to watch films on car touchscreens (pictured), but it now seems likely he was watching it on another device
Friends described Brown as a 'daredevil' with a 'need for speed' as police revealed he had been given eight speeding tickets in recent years (Model S, pictured)
He also bragged about its sophisticated 'autopilot' system and the safety benefits, saying he had avoided a crash on the highway just weeks ago because of it.
Relatives added that they hope Brown's death can be used to make driverless technology safer for future users.
Tesla said its autopilot system failed to detect the truck because its white color was similar to that of the bright sky, adding that the driver also made no attempt to hit the brakes.
Baressi added that Brown 'went so fast through my trailer I didn't see him.'
By the time firefighters arrived, the wreckage of the Tesla - with its roof sheared off completely - had come to rest in a nearby yard hundreds of feet from the crash site, assistant chief Danny Wallace of the Williston Fire Department said.
It has also emerged that Brown - who served in the Navy for 11 years - narrowly avoided a very similar smash earlier this year, when his car did not notice a white truck turning in on him on the freeway.
Tesla confirmed the man's 'tragic' death, but defended its vehicles, saying they were safer than other cars.
'This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated. Among all vehicles in the US, there is a fatality every 94 million miles,' the company said in a statement.
Mr Brown had engaged the Autopilot on his Tesla and was apparently watching a film when the truck suddenly pulled in front of him. It is not known what speed he was doing
It said neither the driver nor the car hit the brakes as the trailer passed over the Tesla, with the self-driving vehicle colliding with the bottom of the truck.
The company claimed that had the trailer crashed into the front or the rear of the Model S, the driver would have survived.
The statement added that motorists should keep their hands on the wheel and 'be prepared to take over at any time'.
Tesla informed the NHTSA, which has launched an investigation. It has called for 'an examination of the design and performance of any driving aids in use at the time of the crash'.
The agency has not demanded a recall of the vehicles.
Brown psoted a video of his former close-call online along with an audio recording in which he describes what happened.
STEERING, AVOIDING CRASHES & PARKING: TESLA AUTOPILOT'S FUNCTIONS Autosteer: This feature, which is currently in beta, keeps the car in the current lane and engages Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to maintain the car's speed. Tesla requires drivers to remain engaged and aware when Autosteer is enabled and drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel. Auto Lane Change: When the driver flicks the indicator switch and turn signal, the Model S will move itself to the adjacent lane when safe to do so. Automatic Emergency Steering and Side Collision Warning: Side Collision Warning alerts drivers to objects, such as cars, that are too close to the side of Model S. When the car detects an object close to its side, fluid lines will appear around an image of the Model S image in the instrument panel. Autopark: When drivi