US safety regulators have launched an investigation after a fatal accident in which the driver of a Tesla car operating in autopilot mode was killed in a collision with a truck.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was investigating 25,000 Model S sedans that are equipped with the Autopilot system.

The accident, which according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol killed 40-year-old Joshua Brown on a clear, dry roadway on May 7 in Williston, Florida, will add fuel to a debate within the auto industry and in legal circles over the safety of systems that take par-tial control of steering and braking from drivers.

It was still playing when he died and snapped a telephone pole a quarter mile down the road," Baressi told The Associated Press in an interview from his home in Palm Harbor, Florida.

He acknowledged he couldn't see the movie, only heard it. Tesla's autopilot mode is undergoing a preliminary investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker said, following a recent crash that killed a driver who was using the semi-autonomous feature.

"They have been touting their safety and they have been touting their advanced technology," he said. "This situation flies in the face of both."