- Aziz Riad, a limousine service driver, was behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S in 2019 that was traveling at 74 miles per hour when it exited a highway and ran a red light
- The Tesla crashed into a Honda Civic at an intersection, and Gilberto Alcazar Lopez, 40, and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez, 39, died at the scene
A Tesla driver will pay more than $23,000 in compensation for the deaths of two people who died in a car crash in suburban Los Angeles in 2019.
This was the first time in the United States that prosecutors filed criminal charges against a driver – Kevin Aziz Riad – who used a partially automated driving system in a fatal accident.
The Tesla, which was using Autopilot, crashed into a Honda Civic and Gilberto Alcazar Lopez, 40, and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez, 39, died at the scene.
It was among a series of fatal accidents investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that led to the Tesla recall this week.
The recall affects more than 2 million Tesla vehicles and will update software and repair a broken system designed to ensure drivers pay attention when using Autopilot.
This was the first time in the United States that prosecutors filed criminal charges against a driver – Kevin Aziz Riad – who used a partially automated driving system in a fatal accident.
According to authorities, Aziz Riad, a limousine service driver, was behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S that was traveling at 74 miles per hour when it left a highway and turned red on a local street in Gardena, California on December 29, 2019 Crossed the traffic light
This came following a two-year federal investigation into accidents that occurred while using the Autopilot semi-automated driving system.
The Tesla driver in the Los Angeles case, Aziz Riad, claimed he pleaded no contest to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter.
Although he faced more than seven years behind bars, a judge sentenced him to probation in June.
Aziz Riad's lawyer, Peter Johnson, did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.
According to authorities, Aziz Riad, a limousine service driver, was behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S that was traveling at 74 miles per hour when it left a highway and turned red on a local street in Gardena, California on December 29, 2019 Crossed the traffic light.
Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez, 39, died after she was hit by a speeding Tesla on Autopilot near a freeway exit in Los Angeles in 2019
Police said the Tesla Model S left a highway on Dec. 29, 2019, ran a red light in Gardena and was traveling 75 mph when it crashed into a Honda Civic at an intersection
The Tesla, which was using Autopilot at the time, crashed into a Honda Civic at an intersection and the car's occupants, Gilberto Alcazar Lopez, 40, and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez, 39, died at the scene.
Their families have separately filed civil lawsuits against Aziz Riad and Tesla, which are still pending.
Donald Slavik, who represents Alcazar Lopez's family, said that while they were grateful for any reimbursement, it was “a very small portion of the damages” they suffered. Her lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial next year.
“The recently announced recall likely could have prevented this tragic incident if it had limited the use of Autopilot to controlled-access highways,” Slavik said in an email Friday.
A lawyer for the Nieves-Lopez family also did not respond to a request for comment.