As a criminal case against a Tesla driver wraps up, legal and ethical questions on Autopilot endure
A criminal prosecution against a Tesla driver in Los Angeles County whose car crashed while operating on Autopilot could end next month
LOS ANGELES — A criminal prosecution against a Tesla driver in Los Angeles County could end next month, the final step of a case believed to be the first time in the U.S. prosecutors brought felony charges against a motorist who was using a partially automated driving system.
But any conclusion of driver Kevin Aziz Riad's case offers little solace to Lorena Ochoa, whose spouse was one of two people killed in the 2019 crash in a Los Angeles suburb. She believes both Tesla and Aziz Riad, who received probation as punishment, should face harsher consequences.
A restitution hearing for Aziz Riad scheduled for Tuesday was postponed until Sept. 19. A judge will determine how much money he owes the families of Gilberto Alcazar Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez. Aziz Riad was using Autopilot, and the case has raised legal and ethical questions about the technology, particularly as Tesla sales grow and more automakers equip cars with similar systems.
The victims' families have separately filed civil lawsuits against Aziz Riad and Tesla that are ongoing.
On Tuesday, defense attorney Peter Johnson and prosecutor William Pfaff told Judge Tammy Chung Ryu they wanted to delay Aziz Riad's hearing until next month.
“He’s very remorseful for what happened,” Johnson said. Aziz Riad, who was wearing a face mask and covered his eyes with his hands, walked away from a reporter seeking comment.
Tesla says on its website that its cars require human supervision and are not autonomous, but critics say the electric vehicle maker continues a misleading marketing campaign implying that vehicles using
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