Troopers said the Tesla Model Y was in autopilot mode when it left Overpass Road in Pasco County.
WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — An 87-year-old Wesley Chapel man died after his Tesla Model Y left a Pasco County road, hit an electrical box and sank in a pond Tuesday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The crash happened at about 8:10 p.m. May 26 on Overpass Road, east of Infinite Drive, in the Wesley Chapel area. Troopers said the SUV was traveling east in autopilot mode when it went off the roadway for reasons that remained unknown. A 75-year-old Wesley Chapel woman who was riding as a passenger survived and was taken to a hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.
The man was driving a Tesla Model Y SUV eastbound on Overpass Road when the vehicle departed the road, according to investigators. The SUV struck an electrical box, continued moving and entered a nearby pond, where it became submerged. First responders took the driver to an area hospital. He later died from injuries suffered in the crash. Troopers did not release the names of the driver or passenger. Investigators also had not said how fast the SUV was traveling, whether the driver tried to brake or steer, or how long the vehicle was in the water before rescue crews reached it.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the vehicle was in autopilot mode at the time of the crash, but troopers did not say what role, if any, the driver-assistance system may have played. The cause of the crash remained under investigation. The agency’s early account left several key questions unanswered, including why the SUV left the road, how deep the pond was and whether road, weather or visibility conditions were factors. Troopers also had not reported any other vehicles involved. The crash site is in a fast-growing part of Pasco County where new roads, neighborhoods and commercial areas have expanded around Wesley Chapel in recent years.
The wreck adds local attention to a broader national debate over advanced driver-assistance systems, including Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features. Tesla describes Autopilot as a driver-assistance system, not a fully autonomous system. Federal regulators require manufacturers and operators to report certain crashes involving automated driving systems or Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems when those systems were engaged shortly before a crash. Such reports can lead to further review if regulators identify a possible safety concern. In this case, state troopers were still working to determine what caused the Tesla to leave the roadway.
Fatal crashes involving vehicles with driver-assistance technology often require several layers of review. Investigators may examine the crash scene, vehicle damage, road markings, electronic data, witness accounts and any available video. In a Tesla crash, investigators also may seek information about whether driver-assistance features were active, how the system was being used and whether warnings or alerts occurred before impact. The Florida Highway Patrol did not announce any charges in the Pasco County crash. No hearing date or final crash report date had been released as of Saturday.
Images released from the scene showed the Tesla near the water after the crash, with damage reported after the SUV hit the electrical box and entered the pond. The crash turned a quiet stretch of Overpass Road into an emergency scene as crews responded to a submerged vehicle with two older adults inside. Troopers said the passenger was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Her condition was described as not life-threatening, and no further update on her recovery was immediately released. The driver’s death marked the most serious known outcome from the crash investigation.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash remains under investigation. The next major step is the completion of the agency’s crash review, which could clarify the vehicle’s speed, path, system status and any contributing factors.
Author note: Last updated May 30, 2026.