Tesla Confirms Autopilot Active During Fatal Highway 101 Crash
Tesla confirms its Autopilot system was engaged during a fatal Model X crash on Highway 101, sparking friction with federal safety investigators. The driver receives multiple warnings but fails to take control before hitting a concrete barrier.
Tesla confirms that the Autopilot system is active during a fatal crash on Highway 101 in Mountain View. The vehicle, a Model X driven by 38-year-old Wei Huang, strikes a concrete barrier at freeway speeds, causing a three-vehicle accident and a subsequent fire. Huang suffers major injuries and later dies at a local hospital.
Vehicle logs show the Autopilot system is engaged moments before the collision with the adaptive cruise control follow-distance set to a minimum. The system issues several visual and one audible warning for Huang to take control, but data indicates his hands are not on the steering wheel for six seconds prior to the crash. Tesla states the driver has about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the damaged barrier but takes no action.
The National Transportation Safety Board expresses displeasure with Tesla's premature public disclosure of this information while the official investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, Huang's family claims the driver previously reports issues with the Autopilot veering toward the exact same barrier, a detail Tesla firmly disputes after reviewing its service records.