The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has given its verdict on a high-profile fatal crash involving a Tesla Model S that made national headlines in April 2021.

In a written report, the NTSB found there was no evidence that the company’s driving assistance tech, Autopilot, was being used at the time of the incident, in Spring, Texas.

Coverage of the aftermath of the crash, which claimed the lives of the driver and another male occupant, sparked feverish speculation regarding the use of Autopilot as a potential cause – particularly after a local police officer said there was no one at the wheel when the P100D model was recovered, following its collision with a tree.