A Tesla driver in the United States has received a murder charge while driving an electric car on autopilot. It came after the driver was involved in a fatal crash in 2019.
The electric car he was driving reportedly ran a red light and hit another vehicle. Unfortunately, the accident involving the autopilot feature killed two people.
Local police explained that the Tesla Model S was traveling at high speed when it left the freeway and hit a Honda Civid at a crossroads on December 29, 2019.
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Two people who were in the Honda Civic died on the spot as a result of this collision. Meanwhile, the Tesla driver and a female passenger were rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
California prosecutors have reportedly filed murder charges against the driver. The charges are the first criminal charges to be brought against a driver on autopilot.
The Tesla Model S driver was actually charged with murder in October last year. However, the case only came to light last week.
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The Autopilot feature itself is already widely used in a number of developed countries. However, the autopilot in Tesla's electric car is not considered a fully self-driving technology. In other words, the driver must also control the speed of the vehicle.
