Tesla Autopilot Enthusiast Killed In First Self-Driving Car Death

After what is believed to be the first fatality in a vehicle in self-driving mode, Tesla announced that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened "a preliminary evaluation" on the company's new Autopilot feature.

Tesla did not name the customer who died, only saying that he was a "friend to Tesla and the broader EV community, a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla's mission." But the coroner's office in Levy County, FL confirmed to FORBES that the victim was 40-year-old Joshua Brown, from Canton, OH. According to his obituary, Brown spent 11 years in the Navy before starting his own technology company, Nexu Innovations. He died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.

Brown was an avid user of Tesla's Autopilot feature, filming many videos over the last year for his personal YouTube page, racking up nearly 2 million views. He was cited by many media outlets. Elon Musk even cited his video in April:

Owner video of Autopilot steering to avoid collision with a truckhttps://t.co/FZUAXSjlR7

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2016

Brown's death undoubtedly will put a spotlight on the auto industry's push to give cars the ability drive themselves, something advocates have said will likely reduce car accidents, most of which are caused by human error. Companies from Apple and Google to General Motors and Ford are now testing self-driving cars in the wild, but so far there has been scant regulation of the technology. Tesla said it was the first known death in over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated.

Autopilot is Tesla's first foray into self-driving technology, and while its Model S tells drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, the car is able to mostly navigate by itself in clear highway conditions. Sensors keep track of highway lines and surrounding cars. Tesla described the accident as an anomaly: a tractor trailer drove across a highway, perpendicular to the Model S.

"Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied," the company said.

Most other car makers and technology firms testing autonomous capabilities are doing so in limited programs. Google says it has driven more than 1.5 million miles and currently has cars on the road in Mountain View, CA , Austin, TX, Kirkland, WA and Metro Phoenix, AZ. Those tests are being conducted largely by Google employees. By contrast, Tesla has let its customers use Autopilot while it is "still in a public beta phase."

The news of the death and subsequent investigation could put a dent in investor confidence in Tesla, whose shares are already reeling from the surprising acquisition proposal for SolarCity Elon Musk recently announced.

Additional reporting by Ryan Mac and Kate Vinton.