alleged
Gao Yaning, 23, China: family alleges Tesla Autopilot contributed to fatal crash
A Tesla Model S struck a road-sweeping vehicle on the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Expressway near Handan, killing the driver, 23-year-old Gao Yaning. His father sued Tesla's Chinese sales company in Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court, alleging Tesla oversold Autopilot and hid its limitations. Chinese media reported in 2018 that Tesla acknowledged Autopilot was engaged.
- Status
- Alleged, not proven
- Deaths
- 1
- Date
- 20 January 2016
- Place
- Handan, Hebei, China
- AI system
- Tesla Autopilot (first generation), Model S
- Developer / operator
- Tesla
- Named
- Gao Yaning
Why this case is “alleged”
No court, coroner or official investigation has yet found that Tesla Autopilot (first generation), Model S caused or contributed to this death. The case is listed because it meets our standard for a credible allegation. It will move to the confirmed count only if an official body makes such a finding.
Legal status
His father sued Tesla's Chinese sales company in Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court in July 2016; the first hearing was on 20 September 2016. The Paper reported in 2020 that the case was still undecided, and no judgment has been reported. Police found the driver's failure to brake or steer away was the main cause.
Notes
Tesla reportedly acknowledged that Autopilot was engaged, which is not the same as accepting that it caused the crash. First-generation Autopilot used Mobileye camera vision.
Sources
- Tesla Admits Autopilot Feature Led to Fatal China Crash in 2016
- Tesla China crash
- 观察 | 自动驾驶汽车发生交通事故谁担责？