Tesla driver in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist told police he was using Autopilot [View all]

Source: Associated Press, via Scripps News and KTVQ

Tesla driver in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist told police he was using Autopilot

Authorities said they have not yet independently verified whether Autopilot was in use at the time of the crash.

By: AP via Scripps NewsPosted at 8:41 AM, Apr 25, 2024 and last updated 1:54 PM, Apr 25, 2024

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 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.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.ktvq.com/us-news/crime/tesla-driver-in-seattle-area-crash-that-killed-motorcyclist-told-police-he-was-using-autopilot|