Truck driver says man killed in Tesla Autopilot crash was watching Harry Potter

The truck driver involved in a crash with a Tesla operating in Autopilot mode has said that the man behind the wheel of the car had been watching Harry Potter. Frank Baressi also said of the speed that Joshua Brown had been travelling that, “he went so fast through my trailer I didn’t see him.”

Brown is the first known fatality involving Tesla’s self-driving technology. He was killed when his Tesla Model S collided with a large truck that drove across a junction in front of him.

Baressi told the Associated Press that the Harry Potter film “was still playing when he died and snapped a telephone pole a quarter mile down the road.” He added that he heard the film, but didn’t see it.

The Florida highway patrol confirmed that there was a portable DVD player in the vehicle, but made no comment beyond that.

Autopilot, a feature of Tesla’s Model S and SUV Model X which comprises adaptive cruise control and lane departure assistance, is not intended to be used as driverless technology. When engaged, the car reminds the driver to, “Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over at any time.”

The video above is one of several Brown had uploaded to YouTube demonstrating Tesla’s Autopilot technology.