Two people died and two others were injured in the crash between a 2019 Tesla Model S and a 2006 Honda Civic. As per reports citing law enforcement, Tesla exited a freeway, ran a red light and crashed into the Honda Civic killing its occupants, while those inside Tesla were hospitalized.
It is not clear whether the vehicle's advanced Autopilot driver assistance system was a factor in the crash.
The NHTSA's Special Crash Investigations unit is conducting many investigations into Tesla vehicle crashes that are believed to be due to the use of Autpilot.
In December, the auto safety agency said it had opened an investigation into a Connecticut crash in which a Tesla Model 3 rear-ended a parked police car while operating on Autopilot.
Tesla's Autopilot system has faced much criticism following many fatal U.S. crashes involving Tesla vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board earlier said the system's design permitted the driver to disengage from the driving task.
Recently, U.S. Senator Ed Markey demanded new safeguards for the system.
According to Tesla, Autopilot enables the car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane. But, the system does not make the vehicle autonomous.