Tesla confirms 'Autopilot' engaged in fatal crash in China

Vehicle maker Tesla has confirmed that one of its electric vehicles involved in a fatal crash in northern China two years ago did have its "Autopilot" function engaged at the time of the crash, reports China Central Television (CCTV).

A Tesla Model S involved in a fatal crash on a highway near the city of Handan, Hebei Province, January 20, 2016. [Screenshot: CCTV]

The Tesla Model S crashed into a street sweeper on a highway near the city of Handan, Hebei Province, on January 20, 2016. 23-year-old car driver Gao Yaning was killed in the incident.

The victim's family filed suit against Tesla, blaming the company for their son's death.

A man drives a Tesla Model S car equipped with so-called "Autopilot" technology in California on October 14, 2015. [Photo: VCG]

The new revelation would make the case in Handan the first known fatality involving Tesla's "Autopilot" technology. The previously-considered first fatality was thought to have been in the US state of Florida four months later in May, 2016.

Tesla has since stopped using the term "Autopilot" in its descriptions for its Model S vehicles on its Chinese website.