Federal Investigators Looking Into Deadly Newport Beach Tesla Crash

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Federal investigators are trying to determine whether a Tesla car that crashed and killed all three of its passengers in Newport Beach on May 12 was using its Autopilot feature at the time.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the crash is one of more than 30 incidents involving a Tesla car it's investigated since 2016. The investigations are focused on Tesla's Autopilot feature, which helps cars "steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane," the company's website said.

The feature requires an "active driver" with both hands on a car's wheel to enable it, the company said. Autopilot doesn't allow the car to be fully self-driving.

The Newport Beach crash happened around 12:45 a.m., May 12, in the 3000 block of Pacific Coast Highway.

The Newport Beach Police Department said a 2022 Tesla Model S slammed into construction equipment on the road.

Crystal McCallum, 34, of Texas, Wayne Walter Swanson Jr., 40, of Newport Coast, and Andrew James Chaves, 32, of Arizona were identified by the Orange County Sheriff's Department as the Tesla's passengers.

Three construction workers who were on the road at the time of the crash received minor, non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Newport Beach Police's Major Accident Investigation Team is investigating the crash in addition to the federal investigation.