Tesla on Autopilot rear-ends fire truck, kills passenger

A Tesla Model 3 operating on Autopilot rear-ended a stopped fire truck on Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana, killing the driver and passenger in the vehicle and raising concerns about the driver assistance system's apparent inability to react to emergency vehicles with flashing lights . What happened The accident occurred when the Tesla, traveling eastbound at approximately 8 a.m., struck a parked fire truck parked in the passing lane that was responding to an earlier crash, with emergency lights activated. Both occupants of the Tesla, a husband and wife, were injured. The driver Derek Monet’s spine and femur were broken; his wife, Jenna, died from her injuries. The incident prompted a NHTSA investigation; in November 2021, t he driver filed a civil lawsuit against Tesla . Why it happened The driver said that he regularly used Autopilot mode, but was unable to recall if it was engaged when his car hit the fire truck. The NHTSA confirmed the use of Autopilot at the time of the crash. Monet's complaint made the case that Tesla was fully aware that Autopilot is not close to being capable of safe autonomous driving, despite the company continuing to “hype” its products as if they are, thereby giving its customers a false sense of security. Investigators concluded that ineffective driver engagement monitoring and limitations in the Autopilot’s ability to detect stationary emergency vehicles had contributed to the incident - issues that have been the subject of repeated safety recommendations that Tesla and federal agencies have been slow to fully address. What it means The event highlighted Autopilot's apparent inability to react to emergency vehicles with flashing lights . It also demonstrated significant accountability and transparency gaps in the oversight of Tesla and automated vehicles more generally. System 🤖 Autopilot Developer: Tesla Country: USA Sector: Automotive Purpose: Automate steering, acceleration, braking Technology: Driver assistance system; Computer vision; Machine learning Issue: Accountability; Accuracy /reliability; Safety; Transparency Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️ Monet v Tesla Investigations, assessments, audits 👁️ NHTSA investigation

Date it happened

2019-12-01

Organisation involved

Derek Monet

Product, system or model

Autopilot

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.