Tesla blames driver in last month’s fatal crash with Autopilot engaged

Enlarge / Tesla's Model X. (credit: Jordan Golson)

Tesla on Tuesday escalated its media battle with the family of Apple engineer Walter Huang. Huang died in Silicon Valley last month when his Model X vehicle crashed into a concrete lane divider at high speed. Tesla's Autopilot driver assistance system was engaged at the time. Tesla made its clearest statement yet that Huang-not Tesla-bore responsibility for his death on a Mountain View freeway.

Huang's family has hired an attorney to sue Tesla. In an on-camera interview with local television station ABC 7, Huang's wife, Sevonne, said that prior to his death, Huang had complained to her that the car had a tendency to drive toward the exact traffic barrier that ultimately killed him.

But in a statement to ABC 7 on Tuesday evening, Tesla turned this argument around.

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