Handan, Hebei, China (January 20, 2016)
On January 20, 2016, Gao Yaning, the driver of a Tesla Model S in Handan, Hebei, China, was killed when his car crashed into a stationary truck.[5] The Tesla was following a car in the far left lane of a multi-lane highway; the car in front moved to the right lane to avoid a truck stopped on the left shoulder, and the Tesla, which the driver's father believes was in Autopilot mode, did not slow before colliding with the stopped truck.[6] According to footage captured by a dashboard camera, the stationary street sweeper on the left side of the expressway partially extended into the far left lane, and the driver did not appear to respond to the unexpected obstacle.[7]
Initially, Yaning was held responsible for the collision by local traffic police and, in September 2016, his family filed a lawsuit in July against the Tesla dealer who sold the car.[8][9] The family's lawyer stated the suit was intended "to let the public know that self-driving technology has some defects. We are hoping Tesla when marketing its products, will be more cautious. Do not just use self-driving as a selling point for young people."[6] Tesla released a statement which said they "have no way of knowing whether or not Autopilot was engaged at the time of the crash" since the car telemetry could not be retrieved remotely due to damage caused by the crash.[6] In 2018, the lawsuit was stalled because telemetry was recorded locally to a SD card and was not able to be given to Tesla, who provided a decoding key to a third party for independent review. Tesla stated that "while the third-party appraisal is not yet complete, we have no reason to believe that Autopilot on this vehicle ever functioned other than as designed."[10] Chinese media later reported that the family sent the information from that card to Tesla, which admitted Autopilot was engaged two minutes before the crash.[11] Tesla since then removed the term "Autopilot" from its Chinese website.[12]
Williston, Florida, US (May 7, 2016)
On May 7, 2016, Tesla driver Joshua Brown was killed in a crash with an 18-wheel tractor-trailer in Williston, Florida. By late June 2016, the NHTSA opened a formal investigation into the fatal autonomous accident, working with the Florida Highway Patrol. According to the NHTSA, preliminary reports indicate the crash occurred when the tractor-trailer made a left turn in front of the 2015 Tesla Model S at an intersection on a non-controlled access highway, and the car failed to apply the brakes. The car continued to travel after passing under the truck's trailer.[13][14][15] The Tesla was eastbound in the rightmost lane of US 27, and the westbound tractor-trailer was turning left at the intersection with NE 140th Court, approximately 1 mi west of Williston; the posted speed limit is 65 mph.[16]
The diagnostic log of the Tesla indicated it was traveling at a speed of 74 mile/hour when it collided with and traveled under the trailer, which was not equipped with a side underrun protection system.[17]
Mountain View, California, US (March 23, 2018)
On March 23, 2018, a second US Autopilot fatality occurred in Mountain View, California.[31] The crash occurred just before 9:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on southbound US 101 at the carpool lane exit for southbound Highway 85, at a concrete barrier where the left-hand carpool lane offramp separates from 101. After the Model X crashed into the narrow concrete barrier, it was struck by two following vehicles, and then it caught on fire.[32] The driver was Apple engineer Walter Huang, who died.[33]
Both the NHTSA and NTSB began investigations into the March 2018 crash.[34] Another driver of a Model S demonstrated that Autopilot appeared to be confused by the road surface marking in April 2018. The gore ahead of the barrier is marked by diverging solid white lines (a vee-shape) and the Autosteer feature of the Model S appeared to mistakenly use the left-side white line instead of the right-side white line as the lane marking for the far left lane, which would have led the Model S into the same concrete barrier had the driver not taken control.
Kanagawa, Japan (April 29, 2018)
On April 29, 2018, a Tesla Model X operating on Autopilot struck and killed a pedestrian in Kanagawa, Japan, after the driver had fallen asleep.[51] According to a lawsuit filed against Tesla in federal court (N.D. Cal.) in April 2020, the Tesla Model X accelerated from 24 to 38 km/h after the vehicle in front of it changed lanes; it then crashed into a van, motorcycles, and pedestrians in the far right lane of the expressway, killing a 44-year-old man on the road directing traffic.[52][53] The original complaint claims the accident occurred due to flaws in Tesla's Autopilot system, such as inadequate monitoring to detect inattentive drivers and an inability to handle traffic situations "that drivers will almost always certainly encounter".[53][54] In addition, the original complaint claimed this is the first pedestrian fatality to result from the use of Autopilot.[53]
Delray Beach, Florida, US (March 1, 2019)
At approximately 6:17 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on the morning of March 1, 2019, a Tesla Model 3 driving southbound on US 441/SR 7 in Delray Beach, Florida, struck a semi-trailer truck that was making a left-hand turn to northbound SR 7 out of a private driveway at Pero Family Farms; the Tesla underrode the trailer, and the force of the impact sheared off the greenhouse of the Model 3, resulting in the death of the Tesla driver.[58] The driver of the Tesla had engaged Autopilot approximately 10 seconds before the collision and preliminary telemetry showed the vehicle did not detect the driver's hands on the wheel for the eight seconds immediately preceding the collision.[59] The driver of the semi-trailer truck was not cited.[60] Both the NHTSA and NTSB dispatched investigators to the scene.[61][62]
Key Largo, Florida, US (April 25, 2019)
While driving on Card Sound Road, a 2019 Model S ran through a stop sign and flashing red stop light at the T-intersection with County Road 905, then struck a parked Chevrolet Tahoe which then spun and hit two pedestrians, killing one. A New York Times article later confirmed Autopilot was engaged at the time of the accident.[69] The driver of the Tesla, who was commuting to his home in Key Largo from his office in Boca Raton, dropped his phone while on a call to make flight reservations and bent down to pick it up, failing to stop at the intersection: "I looked down, and I ran the stop sign and hit the guy's car ... When I popped up and I looked and saw a black truck — it happened so fast", later telling the responding police officers that Autopilot was "stupid cruise control".[69]
When the driver of the Tesla called authorities to respond, he spotted only one injured man, who was unconscious and bleeding from the mouth. He told police at the scene that he was driving in "cruise" and was allowed to leave without receiving a citation.[69][70][71]
Fremont, California, US (August 24, 2019)
In Fremont, California on I-880, while driving north of Stevenson Boulevard, a Ford Explorer pickup was rear-ended by a Tesla Model 3 using Autopilot, causing the pickup's driver to lose control. The pickup overturned and a 15-year-old passenger in the Ford, who was not seat-belted, was jettisoned from the pickup and killed.[74][75][76] The deceased's parents sued Tesla and claimed in their filing that "Autopilot contains defects and failed to react to traffic conditions."[77] In response, a lawyer for Tesla noted the police had cited the driver of the Tesla for inattention and operating the car at an unsafe speed.[78] The incident has not been investigated by the NHTSA.[74]
Cloverdale, Indiana, US (December 29, 2019)
An eastbound Tesla Model 3 rear-ended a fire truck parked along I-70 near mile marker 38 in Putnam County, Indiana at approximately 8 a.m.;[79][80] both the driver and passenger in the Tesla, a married couple, were injured and taken to Terre Haute Regional Hospital, where the passenger later died from her injuries. The driver stated he regularly uses Autopilot mode, but could not recall if it was engaged when the Tesla hit the fire truck.[81]
The NHTSA announced it was investigating the crash on January 9[82] and later confirmed the use of Autopilot at the time of the crash.[83] The driver filed a civil lawsuit against Tesla in November 2021;[84]
Gardena, California, US (December 29, 2019)
Shortly before 12:39 a.m. on December 29, 2019, a westbound Tesla Model S exited the freeway section of SR 91, failed to stop for a red light, and crashed into the driver's side of Honda Civic in Gardena, California, killing the driver and passenger in the Civic and injuring the driver and passenger in the Tesla.[86] The freeway section of SR 91 ends just east of the intersection with Vermont Ave and continues as Artesia Blvd. The Tesla was proceeding west on Artesia against the red light when it struck the Civic, which was turning left from Vermont onto Artesia.[87] The occupants of the Tesla were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.[88]
The NHTSA initiated an investigation of the crash,[89] which was considered unusual for a two-vehicle collision,[88]
Arendal, Norway (May 29, 2020)
After being notified that some straps on his trailer had come loose, on May 29, 2020, at approximately 11:00 a.m., a solo truck driver parked a tractor-trailer on the hard shoulder of northbound E18, 181 m northeast of the Torsbuås tunnel exit, just outside Arendal. Because of the restricted shoulder width, part of the truck was protruding into the right lane of E18.[98] While fixing the loose strap that was securing the load, he was struck and killed by a northbound Tesla Model S.[99] The Tesla driver had engaged Autopilot approximately 4 km south of the accident site; as he exited the tunnel and approached the parked truck, he observed there were no warning lights on the truck or a warning triangle on the ground and he assumed the truck was abandoned.[98] He then "heard a loud bang, and the car's windscreen cracked"; after pulling over to the shoulder, he walked back towards the parked truck and saw the truck driver's body.[98]
The Tesla's driver was charged with negligent homicide. Early in the trial, an expert witness testified that the car's computer indicated Autopilot was engaged at the time of the incident.
Marietta, Georgia, US (September 17, 2020)
On September 17, 2020, at approximately 5:24 a.m. EDT, the driver of a 2020 Tesla Model 3 crashed into an occupied CobbLinc bus shelter, demolishing it and killing the man waiting inside. The Tesla was driving north on South Cobb Drive near the intersection with Leader Road.[104][105] Because the car's event data recorder showed it had reached a speed of 77 mph prior to the crash and that area has a posted speed limit of 45 mph, police charged the driver with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving.[106]
At the time of the crash, it was not determined if Autopilot was engaged.[104] In September 2022, data provided by Tesla to the NHTSA demonstrated that Autopilot was active at the time of the crash.[107]
Fontana, California, US (May 5, 2021)
At 2:35 a.m. PDT on May 5, 2021, a Tesla Model 3 crashed into an overturned tractor-trailer on the westbound Foothill Freeway (I-210) in Fontana, California. The driver of the Tesla was killed, and a man who had stopped to assist the driver of the truck was struck and injured by the Tesla.[108] California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials announced on May 13 that Autopilot "was engaged" prior to the crash, but added a day later that "a final determination [has not been] made as to what driving mode the Tesla was in or if it was a contributing factor to the crash".[109] The CHP and NHTSA are investigating the crash.[110][111] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.[107]
Queens, New York, US (July 26, 2021)
On July 26, 2021, just after midnight, a man was hit and killed by a driver in a Tesla Model Y SUV. The victim had parked his vehicle on the left shoulder of the westbound Long Island Expressway (I-495), just east of the College Point Boulevard exit in Flushing, Queens, New York, to change a flat tire.[112][113] The NHTSA later determined Autopilot was active during the collision and sent a team to further investigate.[114][107]
Evergreen, Colorado, US (May 16, 2022)
In the evening of May 16, 2022, the driver of a Tesla Model 3 left Upper Bear Creek Road in Evergreen, Colorado and collided with a tree. After the car caught on fire, a passenger was able to exit, but the driver was unable to leave the car and died at the scene.[115] A subsequent Colorado State Patrol (CSP) investigation determined the driver would have survived the crash, but died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.[116] Law enforcement suspect that the Tesla was operating in Autopilot,[107] but due to the remote location, no data was uploaded, and the fire destroyed the onboard data, so the pre-crash telemetry could not be used to verify. The CSP investigation could not determine why the driver did not exit the vehicle. An autopsy of the driver determined their blood alcohol content was 0.264%, more than three times the legal limit.[117]
The crash occurred while the two were returning from an outing to play golf. The surviving passenger recalled the driver had engaged FSD on the trip to the golf course, but was forced to make many manual steering corrections on the winding road.
Mission Viejo, California, US (May 17, 2022)
At 10:51 p.m. PDT on May 17, 2022, a pedestrian walking on southbound I-5 near Crown Valley Parkway in Mission Viejo, California was struck and killed by a driver operating a Tesla Model 3. After the pedestrian was hit, the driver of the Tesla parked the car and exited it to stand on the right shoulder of the freeway; an impaired driver then crashed their car into the Tesla, and a third driver crashed into the two-car wreck, which was in a construction zone.[119] Field report data confirmed the Tesla was operating in Autopilot when the pedestrian was killed.[107]
Gainesville, Florida, US (July 6, 2022)
At approximately 2:00 p.m. EDT on July 6, 2022, the driver of a Tesla Model S traveling southbound on I-75 exited at a rest area just south of Gainesville, Florida, near Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, and smashed into the rear of a parked Walmart tractor-trailer. Both the driver and passenger of the Tesla, a married couple from Lompoc, California, were killed.[120] A spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol noted "[The vehicle] came off the exit ramp to the rest area, continued south for a short period, and turned into an easterly direction and that's at what time we had the collision where the Tesla struck the rear of the tractor-trailer."[121] The NHTSA confirmed it had sent an investigation team to the site.[122] Data reported by Tesla under NHTSA SGO-2021-01 indicate that Autopilot may have been engaged during the crash.[107]
However, in February 2023, a Florida Highway Patrol investigation concluded the crash was due to driver error: while exiting the freeway to the rest area, the driver pressed the accelerator pedal instead of the brake, and the Tesla hit a curb at 60 mph, then collided with the parked truck.
Riverside, California, US (July 7, 2022)
It was initially (and incorrectly) reported that at 4:47 a.m. PDT on July 7, 2022, a driver in a Tesla Model Y approached from behind, and then struck a motorcyclist on a Yamaha V-Star. Both vehicles were traveling eastbound in the high-occupancy vehicle lane of SR 91, west of Magnolia Avenue in Riverside, California. The motorcyclist was ejected from his vehicle and died at the scene, while the driver of the Tesla was uninjured after the Model Y went off the road.[126] The driver of the Tesla was not arrested.[127]
Subsequent CHP investigation showed the motorcyclist struck the dividing wall and fell off his motorcycle; the Tesla Model Y following behind struck the motorcycle (which was already lying on its side) but not the motorcyclist. Telemetry data from Tesla later confirmed the Model Y driver was using Autopilot.[128] Data reported by Tesla under NHTSA SGO-2021-01 also confirmed that Autopilot was engaged during the crash.[107]
Draper, Utah, US (July 24, 2022)
A motorcycle rider was struck from behind by a driver using Autopilot in a Tesla Model 3 on southbound Interstate 15 near 15000 S in Draper, Utah, at 1:09 a.m. MDT on July 24, 2022. The collision threw the motorcycle rider from his Harley-Davidson to the ground, killing him.[129][130] The driver told police he did not see the motorcyclist and he was using Autopilot at the time of the crash. Telemetric data submitted to NHTSA later confirmed his statements.[128][107]
Michael Brooks, the acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety commented "It's pretty clear to me, and it should be to a lot of Tesla owners by now, this stuff isn't working properly and it's not going to live up to the expectations, and it is putting innocent people in danger on the roads ... Drivers are being lured into thinking this protects them and others on the roads, and it's just not working."[131]
Boca Raton, Florida, US (August 26, 2022)
On August 26, 2022 at 2:11 a.m. EDT, a motorcycle rider on a Kawasaki Vulcan was struck from behind by a driver in a Tesla Model 3 while both vehicles were traveling westbound on SW 18th Street approaching Boca Rio Road in Sandalfoot Cove, a census-designated place in unincorporated Palm Beach County, just outside the city of Boca Raton, Florida. The motorcycle rider was thrown from her motorcycle into the windshield of the Tesla; the rider was transported to a hospital, where she later died from the injuries she sustained in the collision. The driver of the Tesla was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or prescription drugs.[132]
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office later confirmed the driver of the Tesla was using Autopilot.[128] Data reported by Tesla under NHTSA SGO-2021-01 also confirm that Autopilot was engaged during the crash.[107]
There have been multiple fatal collisions in the United States during 2022 in which a Tesla operating with Autopilot struck a motorcycle from the rear; in each instance, the motorcyclist was killed.[133]
Walnut Creek, California, US (February 18, 2023)
The driver of a 2014 Tesla Model S was killed after the vehicle he was driving crashed into a Contra Costa County fire truck parked across several lanes of northbound I-680 south of the Treat Boulevard offramp in Walnut Creek, California, at 4 a.m. on February 18, 2023.[136][137] The truck was parked with its lights on to protect the scene of an earlier accident that did not result in any injuries.[138] The Tesla had to be cut open to extricate the passenger, who was taken to the hospital to treat their injuries;[139] four firefighters in the fire truck also were injured and taken to the hospital.[140]
Initially, the California Highway Patrol stated it was not clear if the driver was intoxicated or operating the car with assistance features,[139]
Corona, California, US (March 28, 2023)
On March 28, 2023, at approximately 10:15 p.m., the driver of a Tesla Model Y died after the Tesla was struck by the driver of Ford F-150 pickup truck, who had entered the intersection of Foothill Parkway and Rimpau Avenue in Corona, California against a red light. The Tesla was proceeding through the intersection on a green light.[143][144] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.[107]
Central Point, Oregon, US (June 5, 2023)
The Oregon State Police responded to a single-vehicle accident reported at 3:30 a.m. (PDT) on June 5, 2023 in Jackson County, Oregon; the Tesla Model S was driving northbound on I-5 near milepost 33 when the car departed from the roadway, striking a fence and then a tree before catching on fire. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.[145][146] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.[107]
Brooklyn, New York, US (June 7, 2023)
On June 7, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., the driver of a Tesla Model S traveling along Ocean Parkway in Midwood, Brooklyn left the roadway, striking and killing a pedestrian waiting on the sidewalk to cross the street at the intersection with Avenue M.[147] The driver then struck a light pole and collided with a park bench on the median, injuring a man who had been seated on it.[148] The driver was arrested for leaving the scene of the crash.[149] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.[107]
Turlock, California, US (June 20, 2023)
At approximately 3:15 a.m. on June 20, 2023, a driver operating a white sedan the wrong way (south in the northbound lanes) on SR 99 near Lander Avenue in Turlock, California, collided with a northbound Tesla Model Y traveling at approximately 70 mph. The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was killed, and the driver and passenger in the Tesla were injured.[150] Alcohol appears to have been a factor.[151] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.[107]
South Lake Tahoe, California, US (July 5, 2023)
On July 5, 2023, at approximately 5:30 p.m. (PDT), the driver of a Subaru Impreza traveling north on Pioneer Trail at 55 mph collided head-on with a Tesla Model 3 traveling south at 45 mph. The collision happened just south of the intersection with Fair Meadow Trail. The driver of the Subaru was taken to Barton Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries.[152][153] The five occupants of the Tesla were taken to UC Davis Medical Center, and one died, a three-month-old infant.[154] NHTSA dispatched an investigation team to the scene of the crash.[155] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.[107]
Opal, Virginia, US (July 19, 2023)
While traveling north on the concurrent US 15/17/29 (James Madison Highway) at approximately 6:31 p.m. (EDT) on July 19, 2023, the driver of a Tesla Model Y collided with and continued under the side of the trailer of a combination truck pulling out of the Quarles Truck Stop fuel station near Opal, Virginia, south of Warrenton. The Tesla driver was killed and the truck driver was cited for reckless driving.[156] Two days later, the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant for data from the Tesla, based on witness reports that said the Tesla driver did not attempt to brake before the collision.[157] The reckless driving charge against the truck driver was dropped in November, after the sheriff's office found the Tesla was travelling at 70 mph prior to impact, exceeding the 45 mph speed limit in that area.[158]
That August, NHTSA sent a team to investigate the collision; the Tesla is suspected of being operated under Autopilot.[159] Telemetry data indicate that an automated driving system was in use at the time of the crash.
Flagstaff, Arizona, US (November 27, 2023)
The driver of a Tesla Model Y was travelling down the Interstate 17 from Flagstaff to Phoenix, Arizona. As the car approached the scene of a recent crash, it failed to stop and crashed head-on into a pedestrian.
The driver of the Tesla estimated they were driving at about 65 mph (105 km/h) prior to the crash.[161] As the car entered a curve which revealed the glare of the setting sun, the Tesla kept to the same speed despite passing several other vehicles slowing down or at a standstill with hazard warning lights on as well as a pedestrian attempting to alert the driver. The car finally swerved to avoid a stopped vehicle and ran into a pedestrian, a 71-year-old woman who had just put on a safety vest and was leaving her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
While the crash report initially did not mention that the Tesla Autopilot was engaged, Tesla reported the crash to NHTSA seven months after the incident, as required whenever any advanced driver assistance systems are involved.[162]
Snohomish County, Washington, US (April 19, 2024)
At approximately 3:54 p.m. on April 19, 2024, a motorcyclist was killed after a driver in a 2022 Tesla Model S crashed into the rear of the motorcycle. Both vehicles were traveling on eastbound Washington State Route 522 just west of its intersection with Fales Road, in unincorporated Snohomish County, Washington, close to Maltby. The motorcyclist had slowed down due to traffic conditions, but the Tesla driver did not.[163] The Tesla driver reported he heard a bang as the car collided with the motorcycle and lurched forward; the motorcyclist was ejected and was pinned underneath the Tesla.[164] A few days later, the Tesla driver was arrested for vehicular homicide due to distracted driving based on his admission that he "had the Tesla on Autopilot while looking at his phone",[165] and was released after posting bond.[166] The motorcyclist was wearing a GoPro, which police collected for evidence.[167]
