Woman Charged in Fatal Crash Was Driving in Hands-Free Mode

A woman was using her vehicle’s hands-free feature when she hit and killed two men in a car crash in Philadelphia earlier this year, according to police.

The fatal incident happened at about 3 a.m. on March 3, when the driver, identified as 23-year-old pre-med student Dimple Patel, drove her 2022 yellow Ford Mustang Mach-E into Tolobek Esenbekov’s gray Hyundai Elantra, which was parked on the shoulder of the U.S. Interstate 95 in the Pennsylvania city.

Esenbekov had parked behind the car of another man, Aktilek Baktybekov, whose red Prius was “disabled,” according to police. Patel’s vehicle hit Esenbekov as he was getting out of his car, causing a four-car crash. The two men later died of the injuries sustained during the incident.

Police said that Patel was intoxicated and was driving at about 70 miles per hour “with [the] BlueCruise hands-free driving feature and Adaptive Cruise Control systems activated” at the time of the crash. According to Ford’s website, the company’s BlueCruise feature “enables hands-free highway driving that helps make driving easier and more enjoyable.” The feature can “accelerate, brake, and steer the vehicle in the lane, all with the touch of a button.”

In a statement to Newsweek, Ford said it was cooperating with investigators looking at the incident. “There is no priority higher than safety at Ford, and we have been collaborating fully with all relevant organizations on the investigations into these incidents. We extend our sympathies to those involved,” a spokesperson for the company said.

Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement released on Tuesday, and reported by several news outlets, that “no partially automated vehicle technology should ever be left alone to perform the driving tasks that are required to safely navigate the roads of the commonwealth.”

“While the advancements in technology are immense, always strive to maintain proper control of your vehicle. If you are driving hands free, be aware and ready to regain control if the situation warrants your immediate reaction.”

Patel turned herself in on Tuesday after nine charges were announced against her on August 28—including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, reckless driving, careless driving and prohibited text-based communications—in connection with the deaths of the two men.

Zak Goldstein, the lawyer representing Patel, told Newsweek on Wednesday that it’s still “very early” in the case.

“Ms. Patel turned herself in as requested by the state police yesterday, and she has fortunately been released on bail. She is presumed innocent, and it is important not to rush to judgment,” he said. “The deaths are of course a tragedy, but Ms. Patel has not been found legally responsible for them by any court.”

At this early stage in the proceedings, Goldstein said, “the defense is not yet entitled to review the evidence, so it is hard for me to comment any further than that.”

He added: “It has been widely reported that the state police investigation revealed that the vehicle had a self-driving system of some kind which was engaged at the time of the crash, so whether that system played a role in the crash is certainly something we are going to look at very carefully because Pennsylvania law requires that a DUI, which has also not yet been proven, actually be the cause of any death for a homicide while [under a] DUI charge.”

A Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson told Newsweek: “Applicability of the law and charging determination is made by the respective district attorney’s office. In this case, yes, it was determined she was legally responsible and charged accordingly.”