Musk Criticizes ABC News Coverage of Fatal Manhattan Tesla Crash
NYPD charges driver with vehicular manslaughter and impairment; police have not attributed the incident to Autopilot.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly disputed media reports regarding a fatal crash involving a Tesla in Midtown Manhattan, asserting that the vehicle’s Autopilot system was not a factor in the incident.
What Happened
According to the NYPD, the crash occurred just before 3 a.m. Wednesday when a 2024 Tesla Model Y struck a sidewalk shed, a bus stop pole, and a mailbox on East 42nd Street near Madison Avenue. The vehicle continued for several blocks before stopping near Second Avenue. Two 27-year-old women were transported to Bellevue Hospital; the passenger was pronounced dead, and the driver was charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving while ability impaired, and leaving the scene of an accident. Police have not issued a public statement attributing the crash to Autopilot or Full Self-Driving. Musk’s comments followed a since-deleted ABC News post that he claimed mischaracterized the event. In a reply on X, Musk stated that if Autopilot had been engaged, the crash would not have happened, and added that "the legacy media will never forgive Tesla for failing to advertise with them."
Why It Matters
The incident highlights a recurring tension between Tesla’s public narrative and media reporting on crash causality. Musk’s response mirrors previous instances, such as a June crash in Katy, Texas, where initial reports linked the fatality to Autopilot, but Tesla’s data and subsequent prosecutorial findings indicated human error and acceleration override. Similarly, in 2024, Musk clarified that Full Self-Driving was not installed on a vehicle involved in a Colorado crash despite passenger claims. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently cited the Katy incident to argue that media outlets disproportionately name Tesla in crash headlines compared to other automakers, even when driver error is established. This pattern underscores the ongoing debate over how autonomous driving features are framed in public safety discussions.
The Bottom Line
Tesla has not issued a separate statement beyond Musk’s posts, and the NYPD investigation remains ongoing with no official cause released for the driver’s loss of control. The charges against the driver focus on impairment and leaving the scene, distinct from software failure.
