The Mystery of The Self-Driving Van Has Been Solved

A "self driving" van has caught the eye of many residents in Virginia as people wondered how it was possible.

It was only when NBC's Adam Tuss saw the van and looked inside, he saw that it did have a driver, one with an interesting wardrobe choice.

From the road, the unmarked gray van looks like it's moving without a driver but inside sits a man wearing a beige and black costume that covered his entire torso, his hands poking out from the bottom to steer.

Tuss says the man's face was totally covered, where he could see out but others couldn't see in.

"I looked out and I said, 'Oh my God, there's a guy in a seat costume. How's that possible? Your brain can't get around it for a second."

Tuss went to knock on the window, then when he looked below the wheel, he saw a man's hands and legs.

"Brother, who are you? What are you doing? I'm with the news, dude. Dude, can you pull over and we can talk for a second?"

After some inquiring by the NBC affiliate, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute said the van and driver are part of a study they are conducting on driverless cars. 

"The driver's seating area is configured to make the driver less visible within the vehicle, while still allowing him or her the ability to safely monitor and respond to surroundings."

Tuss says Virginia Tech declined making the driver available for an interview.


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