In recent years, partially-autonomous driver aids have come under fire for a number of reasons, largely because some of them have been marketed as “self-driving,” implying that users can simply activate those features and let the vehicle do all the work. That obviously isn’t the case, as drivers are typically required to keep their hands on the wheel or eyes on the road in the event that ADAS systems fail to function properly. Now, a Ford Mustang Mach-E driver has found themself in serious legal hot water for ignoring that same requirement.
According to the Associated Press, a woman from Philadelphia was driving her Ford Mustang Mach-E with BlueCruise activated back in March when it struck a vehicle that was sitting on I-95 at around 3am. The person driving that vehicle had stopped on the shoulder to help another driver whose vehicle had broken down, but sadly, both were killed when the Mach-E crashed into them.
Authorities later discovered the woman – a 23-year-old student – was intoxicated, and as a result, she’s facing multiple charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and involuntary manslaughter. It’s unclear if those charges will stick, however, with defense lawyer Zak Goldstein noting that Pennsylvania law requires “that the DUI caused the homicide,” adding, “if in fact it’s a failure in a self-driving or a driving system, that may not be a homicide by DUI even if the driver is intoxicated.”
Ford is working with authorities on this case, which is one of a handful that have occurred in similar circumstances this year so far. Another fatal accident involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E and BlueCruise occurred in San Antonio, Texas, when that vehicle crashed into a stationary Honda CR-V, which prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to open an investigation. Shortly thereafter, the NHTSA announced that it was investigating that crash and this one, too.
We’ll have more on this soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Mustang Mach-E news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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