Tesla on Autopilot drifts off road and hits tree, killing driver
Shawn Douglas Kroll, 29, died when his Tesla Model S, operating on Autopilot, drifted off Interstate 5 near Central Point, Oregon, struck a tree, and caught fire. What happened The Tesla, traveling northbound on I-5, drifted off the road "for an unknown reason," passed through a fence, hit a tree, and the collision caused the vehicle to catch fire. Kroll was pronounced dead at the scene. Why it happened The precise cause for the Tesla's drifting off the road is unclear from the preliminary report. What it means The incident raises concerns regarding Autopilot system limitations and possible driver over-reliance or distraction, consistent with patterns in other Tesla Autopilot crashes. Investigations often note Autopilot's incomplete ability to handle all driving scenarios and the need for constant driver vigila nce. System 🤖 Tesla Autopilot Developer: Tesla Country: USA Sector: Automotive Purpose: Automate steering, acceleration, braking Technology: Driver assistance system; Computer vision; Machine learning Issue: Accuracy/reliabi lity; Safety
- Date it happened
- 2023-06-01
- Organisation involved
- Shawn Douglas Kroll
- Product, system or model
- Autopilot
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