Staff Report
WARSAW — A police investigation into a fatal accident on CR 150W last month involving a Tesla indicates the car was on autopilot at the time of the accident.
Two witnesses told police the Tesla, driven by 31-year-old Anish Data, was traveling at a high rate of speed when it went over a hump in the road and became airborne. As it landed, it spun out of control, crossed the center line and struck an SUV driven by 44-year old Josep Criswell, who died at the scene, according to a story by David Slone, Managing Editor for the Times-Union.
Afterward, Daita failed three sobriety tests and his blood alcohol content, based on a breathalyzer, was 0.115.
Daita is employed an engineer and is allowed in the country on a visa.
The state requested an elevated bond to address the increased risk of flight. Authorities also asked that Daita surrender his passport and that a GPS monitoring device be used to ensure his appearance at trial.
His bond was set at $105,000.
To read the Times-Union’s full story, click here.
Tesla’s autopilot is an advanced driver-assistance system designed to enhance safety and convenience for drivers. Tesla emphasizes that drivers must remain attentive and keep their hands on the wheel while using autopilot since it is not fully autonomous.
The autopilot feature is designed to adhere to local speed limits and can issue warnings to the driver if those guidelines are not followed.
According to a story by NBC, a report by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says Tesla’s Autopilot system contributed to at least 467 collisions, 13 resulting in fatalities.
Tesla is one of numerous car manufacturers that provide different types of driving assistance features, which vary widely.
