Tesla sued by family of Apple engineer Walter Huang, who died in fiery autopilot crash

They are alleging wrongful death and negligence stemming from failures and false promises regarding vehicle’s driver-assistance system

Software misread lane lines, failed to detect concrete median and failed to brake car, instead accelerating it into median, lawyers say

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A combination image showing Walter Huang (left), an Apple engineer whose Tesla was on autopilot mode when it crashed into a concrete median in California in March 2018. Photo: Handout

Published: 6:43am, 2 May 2019Updated: 6:43am, 2 May 2019

The family of a man killed in a fiery wreck last year while driving his Tesla along US Route 101 in California is suing the electric vehicle maker, alleging wrongful death and negligence stemming from failures and false promises regarding the Autopilot driver-assistance system.

Walter Huang, a 38-year-old Apple engineer, was driving his Tesla Model X SUV in Mountain View, California, on Autopilot mode in March 2018 when it sped up to 114km/h (71mph) and crashed into a safety barrier, killing Huang and leaving behind a heap of charred wreckage.

Emergency personnel work at the scene where Walter Huang’s Tesla crashed into a barrier on US Highway 101 in March 2018. Photo: KTVU via AP

In a statement early on Wednesday, the family alleged that Autopilot was at fault. Tesla has been gradually increasing the sophistication of the driver-assistance system – and has promised “full self-driving” capabilities for its vehicles by the end of the year – but some critics say the Autopilot software gives drivers a false sense of security.

“Mrs Huang lost her husband, and two children lost their father because Tesla is beta testing its Autopilot software on live drivers,” Mark Fong, a partner at Minami Tamaki LLP, one of the firms representing the family, said in a statement. “The Huang family wants to help prevent this tragedy from happening to other drivers using Tesla vehicles or any semi-autonomous vehicles.”

Autopilot is an advanced driver-assistance system with features such as traffic-aware cruise control and lane keeping assistance that are meant to keep the car at speed, maintain a safe distance from traffic and follow road markings. But the family alleged Tesla’s marketing of Autopilot left Huang with an inflated impression of the technology’s capabilities.