Hans von Ohain Fatal Tesla Crash and Disputed Full Self-Driving Operation
Hans von Ohain, 33, died when a Tesla Model 3 left Upper Bear Creek Road near Evergreen, Colorado, on May 16, 2022. A surviving passenger described automated driving use and his widow sued Tesla. State investigators could not recover the vehicle data needed to verify which assistance features were engaged, and documented driver intoxication.
Pablo Teodoro Fatal Tesla Autopilot Underride Crash in Virginia
Pablo Teodoro III, 57, died when his Tesla Model Y struck a tractor-trailer on U.S. 29 near Opal, Virginia, on July 19, 2023. Fauquier County investigators retrieved vehicle data confirming Autopilot was active and the Tesla was speeding. Investigators said the system warned of an obstruction, and braking occurred too late.
Genesis Mendoza Martinez Fatal Tesla Autopilot Collision with Fire Truck
Genesis Giovanni Mendoza Martinez, 31, died when his Tesla Model S struck a fire engine protecting an earlier crash on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek on February 18, 2023. Court records describe Autopilot use. The family sued Tesla and reached a confidential settlement in 2026 without a verdict establishing product causation.
Fatal Tesla Full Self-Driving Collision with Pedestrian on Interstate 80
A 71-year-old pedestrian died after a Tesla whose driver reported using Full Self-Driving struck him on Interstate 80 near Vallejo, California, on October 22, 2026. CHP-reviewed video shows braking and an evasive steering attempt, and at least one additional vehicle also struck the pedestrian. Responsibility remains under investigation.
Jeffrey Nissen Fatal Motorcycle Collision Involving Tesla Driving Assistance
Motorcyclist Jeffrey Nissen Jr., 28, was killed on State Route 522 in Snohomish County, Washington, on April 19, 2024. A Tesla driver admitted using automated driving assistance while looking at his phone, and Nissen’s family sued Tesla in January 2026 alleging defective safety systems.
Landon Embry Fatal Motorcycle Collision with Tesla Autopilot in Utah
Landon Embry, 34, died on July 24, 2022, when a Tesla Model 3 reportedly using Autopilot struck his motorcycle on Interstate 15 in Draper, Utah. The family sued Tesla, but prosecutors declined criminal charges after determining the assistance system reacted before the human driver.
Gardena Tesla Autopilot Collision Kills Two at Intersection
A Tesla Model S using Autopilot ran a red light in Gardena, California, on December 29, 2019, striking a Honda Civic and killing Gilberto Alcazar Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez. The Tesla driver pleaded no contest to felony vehicular manslaughter and received probation; no court found Tesla itself criminally responsible.
Naibel Benavides Leon Fatal Tesla Autopilot Crash in Key Largo
Naibel Benavides Leon was killed by a Tesla Model S at a Key Largo intersection on April 25, 2019. A federal jury found Tesla responsible for 33% of the resulting harm and awarded substantial damages; the verdict survived post-trial motions in February 2026 and remains subject to appeal.
Fatal Tesla Autopilot Collision with a Semitrailer in Delray Beach
Jeremy Banner died when his Tesla Model 3, operating with Autopilot engaged, struck a crossing tractor-semitrailer on US Highway 441 in Delray Beach. The NTSB found failures to yield and driver inattention, with Tesla system design contributing.
Fatal Tesla Autopilot Crash at Mountain View Highway Barrier
A Tesla Model X with Autopilot engaged steered into a gore area and struck a damaged crash attenuator on US Highway 101 in Mountain View, killing driver Walter Huang. The NTSB identified both system limitations and driver inattention as probable causes.