fatal accident News

Tesla’s Autopilot, Cell Phone Use Blamed in 2018 Fatal Crash

U.S. crash investigators faulted Tesla Inc.’s Autopilot system and the driver’s distraction by a mobile device for a fatal accident in 2018 and called on Apple Inc. and other mobile phone makers to do more to keep motorists’ attention on …

InsurTechs Push for Front Row Seat in New World of Autonomous Technology

Before manufacturers let autonomous vehicles loose on public roadways, they’ll have to show that their driverless cars are a lot better than humans at getting from Point A to Point B without crashing. The partially autonomous vehicles already on the …

Tyson Bets on Robots to Fight Meat Industry Worker Shortage

When you visit a meat plant, humans are completing tasks like stacking pallets and packing chicken drumsticks. But Tyson Foods Inc. thinks robots can do it all. The U.S. meat giant is betting that automation and robotics can alleviate a …

Tesla Subpoenas May Presage Formal Probe, Ex-Official Says

Freshly disclosed records suggest the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may be preparing a formal investigation into Tesla Inc.’s driver-assistance system Autopilot, a former agency official said. The agency has issued at least five subpoenas since April 2018 for information …

Official: Driver in Motorcycle Wreck Should’ve Lost License

CONCORD, N.H. — The head of the Massachusetts motor vehicle division has resigned for failing to terminate the commercial driving license of man whose collision with a group of motorcyclists in New Hampshire left seven dead. Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, on …

Dropped Handheld Vacuum Led to Fatal Virginia Pond Crash

Suffolk, Va., police say a dropped hand-held vacuum caused a fatal accident in which a car crashed into a pond. Police say the front-seat passenger, 23-year-old Latasha Dubois of Suffolk, reached over to retrieve the vacuum after it fell to …

Fire Truck Didn’t Use Spotter in Phoenix Fatal Accident

Phoenix, Ariz., fire officials say the driver of a fire engine that fatally struck a firefighter at the scene of a mulch fire five months ago wasn’t using a spotter. The Phoenix Fire Department released its report Tuesday on the …

Ohio Must Pay $1.8M Award in Fatal Pothole Crash

The state must pay an Ohio woman’s family more than $1.8 million for failing to fix the potholes that caused a fatal 2008 traffic crash. The award to the family of Pauline Miller of East Palestine, south of Youngstown, was …

Mississippi Circuit Judge Tosses Civil Suit Against City

An Alcorn County judge has thrown out a civil suit against Corinth, Miss., officials stemming from a fatal 2009 traffic accident involving a city vehicle. A trial was held in May. The Daily Corinthian reports that a ruling was issued …

West Virginia Mine Agency Cites Alpha for 2012 Fatality

Alpha Natural Resources faces a proposed $6,000 civil fine for a fatal accident at one of its West Virginia mines. The Charleston Gazette reports that the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training cited Alpha for modifying a …