SEATTLE (AP) — A Tesla that may have been operating on the company’s Autopilot driving system hit and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle, raising questions about whether a recent recall went far enough to ensure Tesla drivers using Autopilot pay attention to the road.
After the crash Friday in a suburban area about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of the city, the driver of a 2022 Tesla Model S told a Washington State Patrol trooper that he was using Autopilot and looked at his cellphone while the Tesla was moving.
“The next thing he knew there was a bang and the vehicle lurched forward as it accelerated and collided with the motorcycle in front of him,” the trooper wrote in a probable-cause document.
The 56-year-old driver was arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide “based on the admitted inattention to driving, while on Autopilot mode, and the distraction of the cell phone while moving forward, putting trust in the machine to drive for him,” the affidavit said.
Vermont House passes measure meant to crack down on so
How to get around the great Easter flight rip
Small bump in Covid vaccine uptake, but still well below 2021 peak
Efeso Collins' funeral to be held in Auckland on Thursday
Rebecca Minkoff's RHONY castmates rally around her as they film scenes for the show's new season
Bill disestablishing Māori Health Authority to go through Parliament under urgency today
National trying to wriggle out of promises with talk of 'fragile' economy
China crackdown on Tiananmen Square commemorations extends to Hong Kong
Pakistan and Iran vow to enhance efforts at a 'united front' against Afghanistan
Government unveils plan to fast