Federal auto regulators announced Friday they are opening an investigation into the safety of Tesla’s Autopilot feature, less than a week after a Tesla driver believed to be using it allegedly struck and killed a motorcyclist in Monroe.

Jeffrey Nissen, 28, of Stanwood was on his way home from work on Highway 522 when the Tesla Model S struck his blue 2003 Yamaha R6, Nissen’s fiancée Janae Hutchinson said Thursday.

Washington State Patrol spokesperson Chris Loftis said the agency is still investigating whether the Tesla driver was using Autopilot — a combination of cruise control and Autosteer intended to maintain the car’s set speed while keeping a safe distance from other vehicles and in its driving lane. The crash was among a rising number of collisions in Washington involving cars equipped with the technology, mostly Teslas.

Washington saw 17 such crashes last year compared to 12 in 2022, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Of the 35 crashes in Washington involving Autopilot-equipped cars reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between Sept. 1, 2021 and March 15, 2024, all but three were Teslas, according to the data.