Tesla Inc. and its CEO, Elon Musk, have denied claims that the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system was responsible for a fatal crash in Texas. The incident, which occurred on June 19, resulted in the death of a 76-year-old woman, Martha Avila Mantilla.
Elon Musk’s Response
Musk took to social media to respond to criticism regarding the crash. He stated that the FSD system was designed to drive slowly through neighborhood streets and that the crash was a high-speed incident. Musk emphasized that the two scenarios are inconsistent, suggesting that the FSD system was not at fault.
Ashok Elluswamy’s Statement
Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s AI lead, also weighed in on the incident. Elluswamy claimed that the driver had manually overridden the self-driving system by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% in the residential area. The vehicle reached a speed of 73 mph before the crash. Elluswamy criticized the “blatantly irresponsible reporting” and reaffirmed that the FSD system is safer than manual driving.
NHTSA Investigation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that it will be probing the incident. The driver, identified as 44-year-old Harris Butler, claimed that the Tesla Model 3 was operating on the Autopilot system at the time of the crash. NHTSA is already investigating over 3.2 million vehicles equipped with the FSD technology.
Current Probe Status
The NHTSA probe has moved to the Engineering Analysis stage, which typically precedes a recall. The administration has also closed the investigation into the Actually Smart Summon feature, which could have affected over 2.59 million Tesla vehicles.
Key Points
- Tesla and Elon Musk deny FSD system responsibility for fatal crash
- Ashok Elluswamy claims driver manually overridden self-driving system
- NHTSA announces investigation into the incident
- Probe currently at Engineering Analysis stage
- FSD system deemed safer than manual driving by Elluswamy
Related News
For more information on the Future of Mobility, including updates on Tesla and autonomous driving technology, please refer to our dedicated coverage.