2 Killed after Tesla crashed into a tree without a driver and went up in flames

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) – Two people were killed in a fiery crash Saturday night with a Tesla Model S, and it took hours to put out the flames, authorities said.

Happened just after 9pm at Hammock Dunes Place in Carlton Woods subdivision.

According to authorities, firefighters and medics were called to the scene after reports of an explosion in the forest after the Tesla ran off the road.

The Tesla drove off a dead end at Hammock Dunes Place and failed to make a corner. The vehicle collided with a tree before it went up in flames.

Crews found two bodies in the vehicle, one man in the front passenger seat and another man in the rear passenger seat.

The batteries on board the Tesla continued to ignite despite attempts to extinguish the flames, authorities said. It took about four hours and 23,000 gallons of water for the flames to extinguish, firefighters said.

The Tesla Model S is a fully electric vehicle with an autopilot function. It was not clear whether the car was in autopilot mode when the crash occurred.

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The identity of the victims was not immediately disclosed.