A jury in Florida found Tesla 1 percent negligent in the death of a Model S owner, 18, whose EV collided with a concrete wall after the car’s speed limiter was deactivated, as detailed in a report from Reuters.
Alternatively, the driver and father were found to be 99 percent at fault for the accident in a verdict on Monday.
Barrett Riley was driving at 116 miles per hour (187 kph) approaching a 25 mph speed limit curve and attempting to pass another vehicle on May 18, 2018, ultimately colliding with a wall and starting a fire.
One other passenger passed away, while a third passenger survived.
NHTSA Expands Tesla Autopilot Probe Related to First Responder Accidents https://t.co/hAA2hIqpRp
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According to Riley’s parents James and Jenny Riley, Barrett’s accident had taken place after a Tesla technician disabled the speed limiter device without their knowledge, which would have normally capped the vehicle’s speed at 85 mph (137 kph).
The parents also blamed defects in Tesla’s battery for the fire, though a judge dismissed the claim on June 29.
Tesla responded saying that Barrett’s recklessness was the cause of the crash, that he fooled the technician into disabling the hardware, and that he had also received a March 2018 speeding ticket for driving 112 mph (180 kph).
In January, another Tesla Model S driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter in California for striking and killing two people and injuring another person inside a Honda Civic.
