A Tesla Semi crashed on a California freeway, sparking an investigation from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

According to The Independent Thursday, a team from the Office of High Safety has launched an investigation into the case. The team is looking at the risks possibly triggered by lithium-ion batteries. 

The team would collaborate with the California Highway Patrol to study the wreckage and collect information regarding the events that led to the accident. Los Angeles Times reported that the Tesla vehicle was traveling on Interstate 80 around 3:15 a.m.

Near the Emigrant Gap on 70 miles, northeast of Sacramento, the Tesla unit strayed off the lane and eventually crashed into the trees. The vehicle battery also caught fire, which led to the emission of toxic fumes and a temperature status of 1,000 degrees.

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Firefighters had to wait out the fire according to the Highway Patrol. The driver managed to escape and receive medical attention at the hospital. The incident also led the freeway to be closed temporarily.

After concluding an investigation in 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board settled that battery fires from high-voltage EVs can "pose risks" to first responders and that preventive guidelines were insufficient.

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NTSB could only suggest recommendations, as the agency doesn't have enforcement capabilities. These ideas suggest manufacturers create more specific details on how to fight battery fires, as well as limiting thermal discharge and rekindling. 

The agency also shared that guidelines should contain measures on how to carefully store vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries.

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shut down a preliminary investigation into thousands of Tesla vehicles due to alleged suspension flaws. 

Complaints regarding the suspension fault on the fore links were raised in 2020, causing the Office of Defects Investigation to start a probe. However, ODI closed the case since no instances were discovered to prove the component failure's negative impact on the vehicle's control. 

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