Landmark trial involving Tesla autopilot weighs if 'man or machine' at fault

Tesla will play a major role in a manslaughter trial this week over a fatal crash caused by a vehicle operating on autopilot, in what could be a defining case for the self-driving car industry. At the trial's heart is the question of who is legally responsible for a vehicle that can drive – or partially drive – itself. Kevin George Aziz Riad is on trial for his role in a 2019 crash. Police say Riad exited a freeway in southern California in a Tesla Model S, ran a red light and crashed into a Honda Civic, killing Gilberto Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez. Tesla's autopilot system, which can control speed, braking and steering, was engaged at the time of the crash that killed the couple, who were on their first date.