— A Tesla Model S crash in Florida has caused a lawsuit which alleges 22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon was killed because the Model S Autopilot system failed.
On April 25, 2019, George McGee was operating the 2019 Tesla Model S on CR-905A in Key Largo, Florida, allegedly with Autopilot engaged.
The lawsuit says McGee was relying on Autopilot "to detect obstacles in the roadway ahead of the Vehicle and reduce speed and/or come to a complete stop when such obstacles were detected."
The lawsuit, filed by Neima Benavides, alleges the Tesla driver was looking at his phone and failed to notice an approaching intersection.
Parked on the other side of the T-intersection was a Chevrolet Tahoe owned by Dawn Angulo and driven by her son, Dillon Angulo. Naibel Benavides Leon and Dillon Angulo were standing next to the Tahoe when the Tesla Model S continued through the intersection and hit the Tahoe at nearly 70 mph.
The crash caused the Tahoe to rotate, hit and kill Naibel Benavides Leon, allegedly throwing her 75-feet into a wooded area.
According to the wrongful death lawsuit, the Tesla Model S failed to detect the Chevy Tahoe even though it was parked directly in front of the Tesla.
The plaintiff says the Model S was defective and unsafe due to design defects, and the automaker allegedly knew a driver would use the car in the way Mr. McGee did.
The crash and death allegedly exposed fatal defects in the way Autopilot was designed, "specifically regarding the method in which the system monitors driver engagement."
The Tesla Model S crash lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida: Neima Benavides, Representative of the Estate of Naibel Benavides Leon, deceased, vs. Tesla, Inc. a/k/a Tesla Florida, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Poses & Poses, P.A.