Tesla Driver Faces First Felony Charge for Car Crash Involving Autopilot

A California Tesla driver who was using the Autopilot system when he sped past a red light, hit a car, and kill its two occupants has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, according to the Associated Press. Kevin George Aziz Riad, 27, became the first person accused of a felony for a crash involving a popular automated driving system. It is the latest in a series of criminal charges involving autonomous driving systems, coming nearly two years after an Uber driver involved in a test program was charged for negligent homicide after his SUV struck and killed a pedestrian. The new charges were first filed in October, but they only surfaced last week. Riad has pleaded not guilty to the two charges, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23. Riad and Tesla are also the subjects of civil lawsuits filed by the victim’s family over the 2019 incident.