First-Ever Felony Charges Dealt in Fatal Crash Involving Autopilot Vehicle

First-Ever Felony Charges Dealt in Fatal Crash Involving Autopilot Vehicle
The company logo on the hood of a Tesla vehicle outside a showroom in Littleton, Colo., on July 8, 2018. David Zalubowski/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

DETROIT—California prosecutors have filed two counts of vehicular manslaughter against the driver of a Tesla on Autopilot who ran a red light, slammed into another car, and killed two people in 2019.

The defendant appears to be the first person to be charged with a felony in the United States for a fatal crash involving a motorist who was using a partially automated driving system. Los Angeles County prosecutors filed the charges in October, but they came to light only last week.