An 87-year-old man has died after his Tesla, which was using the company's Autopilot feature, veered off the road and plunged into a creek, according to multiple reports.
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Investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol said the victim was driving a Tesla Model Y when the vehicle strayed off course, rammed into an electrical box and continued into a creek. The FHP is unsure how long the vehicle was submerged.
The driver's identity has not been publicly revealed.
He was transported to a local hospital, but succumbed to the injuries caused by the Tesla's malfunction. His passenger, a 75-year-old woman, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident occurred on May 26, around 8:10 p.m. in Tampa, reported local TV stations Fox 13 Tampa and CBS Tampa 10.
Tesla Has Had Previous Issues With Autopilot
Tesla has often boasted about the state-of-the-art technology included in its electric vehicles. Namely, its Autopilot feature.
Autopilot was designed to provide drivers with a hands-free trip to their desired destinations.
However, since the first rollout of Tesla vehicles with Autopilot in 2015, there have been several reported fatal defects with the software.
A jury in Florida found Tesla partly liable for a 2019 crash in which a Model S sedan using self-driving software killed a pedestrian and severely injured another.
Plaintiffs had argued the Autopilot software should have alerted the driver and activated the brakes before the crash.
The automaker was ordered to pay the victims $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
In 2023, a Tesla driver was ordered to pay more than $23,000 in restitution for the deaths of two pedestrians during a 2019 car crash in Los Angeles. That same year, Tesla recalled more than 2 million vehicles due to a defect with the Autopilot software.
Billionaire engineer Elon Musk previously stated that Tesla Autopilot technology has surpassed human driving ability. In light of recent events, that statement has been a far cry from the truth.
It's called FAAFO... He's finding out