A Tesla was running on an automated driving system on a Virginia highway just before a high-speed crash with a tractor-trailer, killing the Tesla’s driver. The newly released evidence was announced the day before a recall of more than 2 million Teslas and a probe by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the same system.
Pablo Teodoro III, 57, was killed on July 19 when his Tesla going 70 mph hit and went under a tractor-trailer that had pulled out of a truck stop on U.S. 29 in Opal, south of Washington, authorities said.
Through a search warrant of the victim’s Tesla Model Y, authorities this week said the vehicle’s Autopilot system had been used during the crash, Jeffrey Long, a Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, told The Associated Press.
Pablo Teodoro, inset, died in a Tesla running on Autopilot. (Teodoro’s photo from his obituary; crash scene screenshot from NBC Denver, Colorado, affiliate 9NEWS/YouTube)
Quoting a sheriff’s spokesman, the AP reported the vehicle warned Teodoro to take control of the car before the crash, saying “the system was aware of something in the roadway and was sending messages” to him. The brakes were applied one second before impact, slowing the car slightly, the wire service reported.
“Our investigation also determined that the driver would have had adequate time and distance to avoid the crash had he been traveling at the speed limit,” Long said in a statement, the AP reported. “The full investigation concluded that the driver would have had more than adequate time to brake and even come to a complete stop.”
The National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote a letter to Tesla Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk in 2021, saying she was deeply concerned about Tesla’s inaction to implement safety recommendations after an investigation of a collision between a Tesla Model S operating with an engaged Level 2 automation system and a tractor-semitrailer truck in Williston, Florida, in 2016.
“Our investigation of the Williston crash found that the driver used the Autopilot system outside of its operational design domain (ODD) — on roadways for which it was neither designed nor safe — and went extended periods of time without hands-on driving,” the letter said. “We also found other indications of the driver’s lack of engagement and awareness before the crash, and, accordingly, 2 determined that Tesla’s Autopilot system did not effectively monitor and respond to the driver’s interaction with the steering wheel to ensure driver engagement.”
“The other five manufacturers responded to us, describing the actions they planned to take, or were taking, to better monitor a driver’s level of engagement,” the letter continued. “Tesla is the only manufacturer that did not officially respond to us about the recommendation.”
The NTSB confirmed to Law&Crime that it has yet to receive a response to the letter.
A media representative from Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Law&Crime.
Tesla’s website says the “Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features” require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.
“Full autonomy will be dependent on achieving reliability far in excess of human drivers as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience, as well as regulatory approval, which may take longer in some jurisdictions,” the site says.
In a statement emailed to Law&Crime, the NHTSA said it has been conducting an extensive investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot feature. A recall of its “Full Self Driving” system covering 2.03 million of all Tesla vehicle models was announced on Wednesday.
“Specifically, the investigation found that Tesla’s unique design of its Autopilot system can provide inadequate driver engagement and usage controls that can lead to foreseeable misuse of the system,” the statement said. “In its Defect Information Report, Tesla stated that Autopilot’s software system controls’ may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse.’”
“NHTSA’s investigation remains open as we monitor the efficacy of Tesla’s remedies and continue to work with the automaker to ensure the highest level of safety,” the statement added. “Automated technology holds great promise for improving safety but only when it is deployed responsibly; today’s action is an example of improving automated systems by prioritizing safety.”
Teodoro was the only one injured in the crash. The tractor-trailer driver was initially charged with reckless driving, but those charges were later dropped after the crash was further investigated.
Teodoro’s obituary said he was a “beloved son, brother, father, grandfather, and community member” who established a popular farmers market in Warrenton and opened Great Harvest Bread Company in 2010.
“Pablo was born an old soul, and from a young age, he knew how to connect and be with people in a meaningful way. He moved through this world with empathy, love, a sense of humor, and a way that blessed everyone he met,” the obit said. “Life in all forms — people, animals, especially kittens, flowers/flours, and the earth — mattered to Pablo, and he showed his care by paying attention, by sharing his time and resources, and by connecting with all those around him. His way of caring made lasting impacts in his community.
“Pablo’s path in this world brought nourishment to those around him. How fitting that he was a baker — creative, caring, and nurturing. Pablo fed people — he baked loaves of delicious bread — and he fed people’s hearts and souls by creating a beautiful sanctuary, a community space where people can gather, share ideas, and care for one another.”
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