Tesla to Face Trial for Another Fatal Autopilot Accident

A tragic incident in 2019 took the life of Naibel Benavides Leon and left Dillon Angulo severely injured while they were stargazing beside a road in Key Largo, Florida. A Tesla Model S, driven by George McGee with Autopilot mode engaged, ran a stop sign and flashing red light at an intersection, colliding with a parked SUV. McGee later claimed he dropped his cell phone and bent down to pick it up before the Tesla crashed into the parked vehicle at about 60 miles per hour without warning. The family of Benavides Leon has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, alleging that the Autopilot system failed to prevent the accident, while Tesla's attorneys argue that the crash could have been avoided by an attentive driver. The civil trial is set to begin in Miami federal court, where the jury will determine if Tesla is responsible for the collision. The judge's ruling allows the lawsuit to proceed on certain claims, including design defect and failure to warn, while dismissing others. The plaintiffs' lawsuit argues that Tesla exaggerated the capabilities of Autopilot and failed to warn about its deficiencies. Tesla, in response, emphasizes that Autopilot is meant for use with an attentive driver always ready to take control of the vehicle.