Tesla SUV Kills 1 at Simi Valley Shopping Center, Injuring 2

Q: Was the fatal Simi Valley crash caused by driver error or a flaw in the Tesla’s technology?

It is not yet known whether the fatal Simi Valley crash was caused by driver error or a flaw in the Tesla’s technology. What is established so far is that surveillance video shows the Tesla SUV traveling through the Target parking lot, attempting a right turn toward Madera Road, failing to complete it, and then driving over the sidewalk into the area outside Urbane Cafe. A woman on the sidewalk was pinned under the vehicle and died at the scene. The elderly driver was hospitalized with chest and arm pain, and one child passenger was treated for minor abrasions. Police have said the cause remains under investigation, and no arrests have been announced. Authorities have not publicly said whether any Tesla driver-assistance system, including Autopilot or Full Self-Driving, was engaged at the time. There is also no public evidence so far of a vehicle defect, software malfunction, or recall issue tied to this specific crash. Given the facts released, the strongest reporting answer is that there is no verified basis yet to blame Tesla technology. At the same time, it would also be premature to definitively assign fault to the driver before investigators review the vehicle data, video, driver condition, and any possible medical or mechanical factors. For now, the crash should be described as under investigation, with the cause undetermined.

1 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 29

A woman died Monday after a Tesla SUV drove onto a sidewalk outside Urbane Cafe in Simi Valley and pinned her beneath the vehicle, police said.
Surveillance video showed the Tesla traveling north through a Target parking lot around 2:30 p.m., then failing to complete a right turn toward Madera Road and mounting the sidewalk.
The elderly woman driving the SUV was hospitalized with chest and arm pain, and one of four children in the car was taken for treatment of minor abrasions.
Police have not identified the victim, made no arrests, and said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.