Authorities now say a 23-year-old pre-med student from Philadelphia will be charged with homicide following a highway crash in March. They say Dimple Patel was intoxicated and utilizing Ford's Blue Cruise partially automated driving system when her Mustang Mach-E collided with a parked vehicle on I-95 around 3am, resulting in the deaths of two men. The crash marked the second such incident this year involving a Mach-E impacting a parked car at night; one occurred in San Antonio, Texas, in February.
Investigators say Patel was driving at approximately 71mph using both Blue Cruise and Adaptive Cruise Control when she struck the vehicle belonging to Tolobek Esenbekov, who had stopped on the shoulder to help Aktilek Baktybekov, whose car had broken down. In the aftermath, Pennsylvania State Police emphasized that drivers using advanced technologies must remain alert, stating, "No partially automated vehicle technology should ever be left alone to perform the driving tasks."
Patel faces multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and involuntary manslaughter. She surrendered to police on Tuesday. Defense lawyer Zak Goldstein noted the legal complexities, highlighting that Pennsylvania law requires proving the DUI caused the fatality. Ford is cooperating with state police and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the investigation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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