The tragic fatal crash of a Tesla employee allegedly using Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta in 2022 has been extensively reported. However, one such recent report has revealed the intricacies of Hans von Ohain's accident, shedding light on accountability in such incidents.
Ohain died in a car crash after his Tesla Model 3 veered off course, crashed into a tree, and burst into flames, according to a new report by The Washington Post. However, Ohain wasn't alone in the car.
He had his friend Erik Rossiter sitting in the passenger seat who was a witness to this entire accident. According to the Post's report, Rossiter told first responders that Ohain had been using the FSD when he was driving his Tesla, and the vehicle "just ran straight off the road."
If Rossiter's account holds true, the event, which Tesla has refrained from publicly acknowledging, would constitute the first documented fatality associated with the automobile manufacturer's FSD technology.
But in a post on X, responding toElectrek'stake on the Post's reportage, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that Ohain was not on FSD 'unfortunately.' He further said that it's 'unfortunate' because had Ohain been on FSD, he'd probably be alive today.
"Always remember that Full Self-Driving (Beta) does not make Model Y autonomous and requires a fully attentive driver who is ready to take immediate action at all times," says Tesla on its website.
Probe says car was likely on FSD
Rossiter recounted that the vehicle experienced swerving episodes that required manual intervention. Despite drinking alcohol during the day, Ohain appeared composed when they embarked on the journey back, claimed Rossiter.
While investigations concluded that intoxication was a primary factor, questions remain regarding Tesla's driver-assistance technology's role in the accident.
Sgt. Robert Madden from the Colorado State Patrol told the Post that there weren't any skid marks, which show up if the car tried to brake before hitting. But there were "rolling tire marks," which means the wheels were still moving after the crash.
Madden said that based on how the crash happened and with no sign of a sudden turn, it seemed like the driver-assistance feature was being used.
Madden also talked about how the fire that happened after the crash was one of the worst he had seen. This was mainly because of the lithium-ion batteries in the Tesla's bottom where Ohain was driving.
According to the Post, Ohain died from breathing in smoke and getting burns, and Madden thinks he would have lived if the fire wasn't so intense.
All evidence suggests that Von Ohain possessed and utilized FSD Beta, yet Tesla was unable to corroborate this assertion using the vehicle's logs.
The unavailability of the logs to law enforcement was attributed to the complete incineration of the vehicle, with Tesla asserting that the logs were not transmitted wirelessly following the crash.
Ohain's wife seeks accountability from Tesla
Ohain's widow, Nora Bass, whom the Post interviewed, seeks accountability from Tesla, questioning the "false sense of security" surrounding FSD.
Bass told the Post that her husband trusted Elon Musk's idea of self-driving cars so strongly that he was okay with the bumpy ride to assist in making Tesla's technology better.
However, Tesla didn't say anything about Ohain's death, she feels like they were just testing the technology with no real safety assurance, calling it a false promise.
Due to the inability to retrieve logs from the car, it remains uncertain if driver-assist features were active during the crash. But some of that doubt has been cleared in Musk's latest tweet.