- Musk emphasizes that the Tesla crash is unrelated to Autopilot.
- Two women were injured in the crash, with one fatality, and the driver is charged with manslaughter.
- Musk accuses the media of misleading reporting and references issues with Tesla's advertising partnerships.
- Police investigation is ongoing, and the cause of the driver's loss of control has not yet been confirmed.
Elon Musk has challenged media coverage of a fatal Tesla crash on social media platform X, asserting "this is not a car issue" and stating that the vehicle's Autopilot system was not involved in the incident. According to the New York City Police Department, the crash occurred just before 3 a.m. on Wednesday when a 2024 Tesla Model Y struck a sidewalk shed, a bus stop pillar, and a mailbox on East 42nd Street at 315 Madison Ave.
The vehicle continued for several blocks after the impact before coming to a stop near Second Avenue. Two 27-year-old women inside the car were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where one passenger was pronounced dead. The driver has been charged with manslaughter, driving while ability impaired, and leaving the scene of an incident. The police have not attributed the crash to Autopilot or Full Self-Driving in any public statements, with the focus of the charges being on the driver's impaired state rather than a software issue.
Musk's Response to Media Reports
Musk's response came after a now-deleted ABC News post, which he felt mischaracterized the nature of the incident. In a reply to a user on X, Musk wrote that if Autopilot had been engaged, "they would not have crashed," adding, "Mainstream media will never forgive Tesla for not advertising with them." This is not the first time Tesla has faced such scrutiny. In June, several national media outlets reported on a fatal crash in Katy, Texas, as occurring under "Autopilot," based on the driver's statements to police after their Model 3 hit a residence, killing a 76-year-old woman.
However, Tesla's data told a different story, with Tesla's Director of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, stating that the driver had pressed the accelerator to 100% and reached speeds of 73 miles per hour in a residential area. The Harris County District Attorney subsequently confirmed the driver's control of the vehicle, leading to charges of manslaughter against the driver.
Media Reporting and Driver Behavior
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last month referenced the same Katy incident, pointing out that the media frequently mentions Tesla in crash reports but not other automakers, even when driver behavior has been confirmed as the cause of the accident. In 2024, Musk also clarified that in a fatal DUI crash in Colorado, Full Self-Driving was not even downloaded on the involved Model 3, despite the passenger claiming the "self-driving function" was in use. For now, Tesla has not issued a separate statement on the Manhattan incident, with Musk's posts on X being the only response.
The New York City Police Department's investigation is ongoing, and the cause of the driver's loss of control has not yet been disclosed.
Media Bias and the Impact of Accident Reporting
Musk's accusations against the media reflect the ongoing challenges Tesla faces in accident reporting. Media coverage of Autopilot often oversimplifies the issue, ignoring the role of driver behavior in accidents. This bias not only affects public perception of Tesla but could also cause long-term damage to the company's image. As autonomous driving technology advances, how to accurately report on the causes of accidents will become an important topic for future discussion.