A tragic crash involving a Tesla Model S is now at the heart of a major courtroom battle in Miami. A parked Chevrolet SUV was struck by a Tesla that ran a stop sign in the Florida Keys back in 2019.
A Deadly Accident Under the Microscope
Her boyfriend was gravely hurt in the collision, and a woman standing next to the SUV was killed.
Now, Tesla is defending itself in court, arguing that the accident was not caused by its Autopilot technology. Instead, the company says the driver was distracted and at fault. The trial has brought national attention to how safe Teslaâs Autopilot system really is, especially with Tesla pushing for full self-driving and robotaxis in the future.
Tesla’s attorneys are demonstrating in court that the driver disregarded warnings by displaying comprehensive computer data from the vehicle. They say the car gave a sound alert 1.65 seconds before the crash, and that should have been enough time for the driver to react and stop the car. But the driver was reaching down for a dropped phone and didnât hit the brakes until just 0.55 seconds before impact.
This moment of less than two seconds is now the most important part of the trial.
What Happened in the Final Seconds
The court has heard from safety experts and accident investigators to understand what exactly happened before the crash. Data from the car shows that the driver was speeding 17 miles per hour faster than the posted speed limit and had pressed the accelerator himself, overriding the carâs cruise control.
Teslaâs team says this proves the driver was in control and not relying fully on Autopilot at the time. The carâs steering system had turned off just seconds before the crash, and it sounded a loud beep to alert the driver. Tesla played this sound in the courtroom for the jury to hear, showing that the alert was loud and clear.
But the family of the woman who died says that the technology should not have been active on that road in the first place. A crash expert told the jury that if Tesla had designed the software to turn off on roads it wasnât meant to be used on, this crash would not have happened. The road was a small T intersection, not ideal for Autopilotâs use, according to critics.
Another expert said that the driver had a habit of ignoring warnings from the car. Teslaâs system gives three alerts when drivers donât have their hands on the wheel. If they still donât respond, Autopilot shuts down. This happened to the driver often, the court heard. When it did, he would pull over, reset the car, and turn Autopilot back on.
Tesla Blames Driverâs Distraction
Teslaâs main argument is that the driver was not paying attention. The driver had safely passed through this same intersection nearly 50 times before in the same car, the company said. But on that day, he dropped something and reached for it, taking his eyes off the road.
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The company also pointed to past statements from its CEO, who said Autopilot is still in âbetaâ mode. That means itâs a work in progress and not perfect. The idea was to make drivers stay alert and always keep their hands on the wheel. But one safety expert argued in court that calling it âbetaâ might just be a way for Tesla to avoid legal responsibility.
The trial has now focused heavily on whether the alert that sounded just before the crash was enough. One expert admitted the driver might have reacted to the sound but said the reaction came too late. No one can be completely sure if the alert was actually heard or ignored.
This high-stakes trial is expected to last for three weeks. Jurors are being asked to decide who is really to blame, the distracted driver or Teslaâs Autopilot system. The outcome could have a big impact on the future of driver-assist technology and how companies are held responsible when accidents happen.
For now, the case remains open, with every second, beep, and piece of data being picked apart in court.
