Tesla Driver Ordered to Pay Restitution After Fatal 2019 Crash in Los Angeles
In a landmark case, a Tesla driver, Kevin Aziz Riad, has been ordered to pay over $23,000 in restitution following a 2019 car crash in a Los Angeles suburb that claimed the lives of two individuals. This decision coincided with Tesla’s recent recall of nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S., affecting over 2 million cars.
The court hearing on Wednesday marked a significant milestone as prosecutors in the U.S. brought felony charges against a motorist using a partially automated driving system. This case was part of a broader investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into deadly crashes, prompting Tesla’s comprehensive recall.
The recall aims to address software issues and fix a defective system designed to ensure driver attentiveness while using Autopilot, the partially automated driving system. This action follows a two-year federal investigation into accidents occurring while Autopilot was engaged.
Kevin Aziz Riad, the Tesla driver in the Los Angeles incident, entered a plea of no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Despite potentially facing over seven years in prison, the judge sentenced him to probation in June.
Authorities revealed that Aziz Riad, employed as a limousine service driver, was operating a Tesla Model S at 74 mph (119 kph) when it departed a freeway, ran a red light in Gardena, California, on December 29, 2019. The Tesla, utilizing Autopilot, collided with a Honda Civic at an intersection, resulting in the deaths of Gilberto Alcazar Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez.
Both families have filed separate civil lawsuits against Aziz Riad and Tesla. Donald Slavik, representing Alcazar Lopez’s family, expressed gratitude for any restitution but emphasized its limited scope compared to the damages suffered. He highlighted that the recent recall, if restricting Autopilot use to controlled access highways, might have prevented the tragic incident.
The ongoing legal proceedings indicate the complex and evolving landscape surrounding the use of automated driving systems, raising questions about accountability and safety measures in the rapidly advancing automotive technology sector.
A Tesla driver to pay $23K in restitution for a 2019 Los Angeles crash that killed 2 people https://t.co/Gp08fMjRnG
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