Elon Musk Claims Tesla Worker Who Died In Fiery 2022 Crash 'Unfortunately' Never Downloaded FSD: 'Accident Probably Would Not Have Happened'

Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk has disputed a media report suggesting the 2022 death of a company employee may have been the first fatality involving the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.

What Happened: In response to the investigative report by The Washington Post, Musk stated, “He was not on FSD. The software had unfortunately never been downloaded. I say ‘unfortunately,’ because the accident probably would not have happened if FSD had been engaged.”

Background: The deceased, Tesla recruiter Hans von Ohain, was killed in a fiery crash in May 2022. The Washington Post presented footage and evidence suggesting the accident could be the first involving FSD.

Ohain and his passenger, Erik Rossiter, were in a Tesla Model 3 that struck a tree and burst into flames. 

While Rossiter initially claimed they used an “auto-drive feature,” evidence indicates Autopilot was not engaged. Rossiter further alleged Ohain used FSD, though this remains unconfirmed. Both individuals had been drinking alcohol before the crash, as per the report, with Ohain’s blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit.

Why It Matters: Tesla’s FSD has been a contentious subject for a while now. While some have reviewed the latest beta version favorably, there are others, including a safety group, that claim the software is outright dangerous.

Most prominent among the naysayers is The Dawn Project, headed by tech billionaire Dan O’Dowd, which has labeled FSD as a poor feature that “drives like a drunk teenager.”

Incidentally, O’Dowd’s group ran a Super Bowl ad over the weekend that targeted Tesla and FSD, but is now in the crosshairs of regulators for allegedly using government labels illegally.

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