In A First, Tesla Model S Driver Charged With Vehicular Manslaughter Over Fatal 2019 Crash Involving Autopilot

A Tesla Inc TSLA driver involved in a fatal wreck over two years ago is the first to be charged on two counts of vehicular manslaughter involving the electric vehicle maker’s widely used Autopilot technology, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. 

What Happened: The criminal charging documents do not mention Autopilot though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had last week confirmed the software was in use in the Tesla vehicle at the time of the crash.

The driver, Kevin George Aziz Riad, 27, in 2019 killed two people after running a red light and slamming into another car — a Honda Civic — in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena while using the Autopilot.

Riad was said to be driving a Tesla Model S. The prosecutors filed the charges against Riad in October. The Tesla vehicle struck a Honda Civic at an intersection on Dec. 29, 2019 and instantly killed Alcazar Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez. 

The families of Lopez and Nieves-Lopez have sued Tesla over allegations of selling defective vehicles that can accelerate suddenly and lack an effective automatic emergency braking system. They have also sued Riad separately for negligence.

A joint trial is scheduled for mid-2023.

See Also: Elon Musk Touts Value Of Autonomous Vehicles After Tesla Raises FSD's Price To $12K

Why It Matters: Tesla vehicles are equipped with a standard driver assistance system branded as Autopilot. The feature still requires active driver supervision and does not make the vehicles autonomous. 

The technology has been the subject of investigation by the NHTSA, which has previously asked Tesla for more information about the beta testing program for its self-driving cars.

There are five levels of automation under standards created by SAE International. A Level 4 system implies the vehicle can handle all aspects of driving without human intervention. Tesla is currently at Level 2.

Price Action: Tesla stock closed 1.8% lower at $1030.5 a share on Tuesday.