David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety investigators said on Monday they had opened an investigation into the April crash of a VinFast (NASDAQ:) VF (NYSE:) 8 electric vehicle in Pleasanton, California, that killed a family of four.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said an investigation is looking into the circumstances surrounding the April 24 crash and subsequent fire. The complaint, filed with the agency on April 29, said steering may have been a problem in the crash that killed the couple along with their children, ages 13 and 9.
Pleasanton police said the driver involved in the single-vehicle crash appeared to lose control and hit a large oak tree, and that speed may have been a factor.
Vietnamese automaker VinFast, which began selling cars in the U.S. in 2023, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, Pleasanton Weekly quoted a VinFast spokesperson as saying the automaker was aware of the accident, adding, “Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident and will share their findings when the work is completed.”
The agency typically conducts more than 100 special crash investigations each year that focus on new technologies and other potential vehicle safety issues.
A complaint filed with NHTSA on April 29 by a co-worker of a driver involved in a fatal crash said that in another incident, the steering wheel automatically swung to the right, but the co-worker was able to regain control of the steering wheel and was concerned about a steering problem. repeated itself in a fatal disaster.
Police told media the car did not belong to the family.
TechCrunch reported the investigation earlier on Monday.