Elon Musk’s claim that Tesla has the “safest ever” self-driving technology has faced a major setback in a wrongful death trial. This week, a federal jury trial began in Miami, focusing on a deadly 2019 crash involving a Tesla Model S. The accident happened near Key Largo, Florida, when the Tesla sped through a T intersection at over 50 miles per hour and hit a parked SUV.
The driver, George McGee, later told authorities he had been distracted. He was looking down to pick up a dropped phone, which caused him to miss a stop sign and crash into the other vehicle, according to NPR. Before the collision, the Tesla’s driver-assistance system, called Autopilot, had been turned on. This system is supposed to handle steering, braking, and acceleration on its own, but it failed to stop the crash.
