Jailed driver admits Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ not to blame in Melbourne hit-and-run – report

A Melbourne woman has been sentenced to nine months in prison for a hit-and-run after admitting that her Tesla's 'Autopilot' semi-autonomous driving assistance was not to blame for the accident after all.

In March 2022, the woman was a probationary driver behind the wheel of an electric Tesla Model 3 when she hit a 26-year-old nurse at 58km/h, who was crossing the road to board a tram.

The driver eventually returned to the scene two hours later, and has spent the past two years fighting charges of dangerous driving causing injury and failing to stop after an accident – claiming the Tesla's semi-autonomous 'Autopilot' mode had control of the vehicle at the time.

However, the County Court of Victoria heard that a forensic investigation into the car's data log found the system was not engaged, and Model 3's forward collision warning had sounded an alarm for approximately one second before the pedestrian was struck, reports The Age.

MORE: Melbourne hit-and-run blamed on Tesla Autopilot, could set legal precedent for new tech

The data also revealed no record of the driver braking to avoid the impact.

The victim was in hospital for more than three weeks following the incident, and now suffers from an ongoing acquired brain injury.

The nine-month sentence includes four months for dangerous driving, and seven months for failing to stop, with two months of the first charge served cumulatively on the second.

The driver – who is currently on a bridging visa, and now risks being deported following her sentence – will spend nine months in prison, with her licence cancelled for four years.