Another road accident occurred because of a car’s ‘autopilot’ mode and this time it was Tesla’s Model S that failed to stop a red light and crashed in a firetruck. However, it prompted CEO Elon Musk to talk about it.
The incident took place last week in South Jordan, Utah when a woman’s semi-autonomous Tesla crashed into the back of a firetruck. Upon further investigation, the woman informed the authorities that the car was in autopilot mode and she was looking down at her phone when the accident occurred.
The 28-year-old female driver of the Tesla Model S was travelling at a speed on 60mph and failed to stop at a red light resulting in a collision with a fire department truck. The crash led to the woman breaking her right foot whereas, the truck driver was checked for whiplash but not hospitalized, reported NBC News.
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Moreover, the exact reason for the crash is not yet known and Tesla says that it had not received the car’s data yet and thus, could not comment whether the autopilot was engaged or not. Whereas, as per South Jordan police, the driver admitted that she was looking at her phone before the collision happened. Witnesses also said that the car did not brake or take any action to avoid the crash, wrote The Guardian.
“As a reminder for drivers of semi-autonomous vehicles, it is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive safely, and be in control of the vehicle at all times,” the police department said in a statement.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter regarding the incident saying that it was ‘super messed up’ that the Tesla crash was a front page news and the 40,000 people who died in US auto accidents alone in past year got almost no coverage. He further said that at this speed the driver only broke an ankle, however, such an impact usually results in ‘severe injury or death’.
What’s actually amazing about this accident is that a Model S hit a fire truck at 60mph and the driver only broke an ankle. An impact at that speed usually results in severe injury or death.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 14, 2018