--- title: "Tesla Driver Charged With Vehicular Homicide for Killing Motorcyclist While Browsing His Phone on Autopilot" description: "While driving in Autopilot and scrolling through his phone, a Washington Tesla driver hit and killed a motorcyclist." date: "2024-04-23" modified: "2024-04-23" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-driver-charged-homicide-autopilot" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "autopilot" - "model s" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Driver Charged With Vehicular Homicide for Killing Motorcyclist While Browsing His Phone on Autopilot ![While driving in Autopilot and scrolling through his phone, a Washington Tesla driver hit and killed a motorcyclist.]() *\Image: Robert Alexander via Getty / Futurism\* ## Driving Distracted While using Tesla's so-called "Autopilot" capabilities, a Washington man hit and killed a motorcyclist — because he was, apparently, scrolling through his phone while driving. As the local [*Everett Herald* newspaper reports](), a 56-year-old Tesla driver was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide after hitting 28-year-old Jeffrey Nissen with his 2022 Model S, which he was driving in Autopilot at the time. The driver in question, who has not yet been named publicly, reportedly passed police sobriety tests at the scene. After the cops ascertained that he'd been allegedly using his phone and not paying attention to the road, thus "putting the trust in the machine to drive for him," they arrested him. He was later released on a $100,000 bail, the *Herald* reports. ## Crash and Burn While he was allegedly scrolling his phone, the Model S is said to have crashed into Nissen, who was ejected from his bike and crushed by the Tesla. The young man was reportedly still pinned under the car when police arrived on the scene. In the aftermath of the crash, as Seattle's [*CBS* affiliate notes](), prosecutors filed probable cause documents against the driver due to the statements he provided police with at the time. Notably, the crash occurred just a day before Tesla [slashed the price]() of its Full Self-Driving feature from $12,000 to $8,000, the newspaper points out. Its reporting also notes that at least 17 people have been killed during [crashes involving Autopilot]() since 2019. **More on Autopilot:** [*Tesla Settles Suit Accusing Autopilot of Killing Driver Instead of Going to Court*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()