Tesla Model 3 crashes in China killing one, Autopilot under radar again
- A Tesla Model 3 has hit three cars before crashing into a bus in China, which killed one person and injured one.
Tesla Autopilot has been making headlines for all the wrong headlines for quite some time and it seems the latest one is from China. A Tesla Model 3 electric compact sedan hit three cars in Rui’an, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province of China before crashing into a bus. The accident took place on February 17 and killed one occupant of the EV, while the driver was injured.
Surveillance footage around the area has shown the electric vehicle almost crashing into an electric bicycle and several cars at an intersection before it came to a complete stop. Also, the car's brake light was not engaged during the accident, which raised the suspicion that the accident had Autopilot technology involved.
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While it is not confirmed yet if the Autopilot on the fateful Tesla Model 3 was on or not, the advanced driver assistance system is under the radar again after this accident. This comes at a time when the Autopilot driver assistance technology is already under scanner in the US, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is probing into several accidents that took place in the country involving Tesla EVs that had the Autopilot on. No wonder, the latest incident in China will increase the headache for the EV manufacturer. Tesla China has already pledged that it will fully cooperate with the authority's investigation into the accident.
The surveillance footage also revealed that the Tesla Model 3 was going so fast that after passing over a bridge, the EV almost landed on its front end. Its impact on the bus was massive. The EV hit three other cars before crashing into the bus, revealed a local police bulletin.
Speaking about the incident, Tesla China has issued a statement, urging people to not spread unverified information. Tesla China’s request comes amidst rumours emerging about the crash online, some of whom have pointed the blame to a potential fault in the EV. “We are very sad about this accident. We fully understand everyone’s concern about this accident. Currently, the local traffic police are investigating the cause of the crash, and we will do our best to cooperate with the authorities. We also ask everyone not to believe or spread unconfirmed information," Tesla China noted in its statement.
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