Tesla Model S runs red light on Autopilot, kills two

Occurred: December 2019

Tesla owner Kevin George Aziz Riad was charged with a felony in the US for a December 2019 crash that left people dead whilst his Tesla car was on Autopilot.

According to police, Riad's Tesla Model S was moving at a high speed when it left a freeway and ran a red light before striking a Honda Civic, killing Gilberto Alcazar Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez. 

The families of Lopez and Nieves-Lopez have sued Tesla and Riad in separate lawsuits alleging negligence by Riad and accusing Tesla of selling defective vehicles that accelerate suddenly and that lack an effective automatic emergency braking system.

Riad's preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 2023.

Operator: Kevin George Aziz Riad
Developer: Tesla

Country: USA

Sector: Automotive

Purpose: Automate steering, acceleration, braking

Technology: Driver assistance system; Self-driving system
Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Safety

Transparency: Black box

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

Research, advocacy 🧮

Page info
Type: Incident
Published: March 2023