US judge rules Tesla driver must stand trial for fatal crash

The driver of a Tesla Model S operating on Autopilot must stand trial for a crash that killed two people in a Los Angeles suburb in 2019, a Los Angeles County judge has ruled.

The judge indicated a trial can be held against the driver facing two counts of vehicular manslaughter, reportedly the first arrestable offence (felony) prosecution in the US against a driver using a partially automated driving system.

Tesla has stated Autopilot and the more sophisticated “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) system cannot drive themselves and that drivers must pay attention and be ready to react.

Alleged misuse of features which can control braking, steering and speed is under investigation by two US agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Meanwhile, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk denies some media reports alleging sexual harassment of a flight attendant on a private jet in 2016, describing the claims as “utterly untrue”.