A Tesla driver who made false claims the car was in autopilot when she crashed into a pedestrian has pleaded guilty
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A Tesla owner who crashed into a pedestrian and falsely blamed the vehicle's "autopilot" feature has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop. The County Court of Victoria heard Sakshi Agrawal was driving a Tesla Model 3 when she struck nurse Nicole Lagos, who was on her way to work and had stepped onto the road to board a tram. The crash occurred just before 6:30am on March 22, 2022 on Wattletree Road in Armadale, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne. The court was told Sakshi Agrawal returned to the scene in a panic after originally driving off. (ABC News) Crash analysis revealed Agrawal did not slow down before hitting Ms Lagos, who was struck at 58 kph and suffered life-threatening injuries after being thrown about 10 metres. "What she did was try to beat the tram," defence barrister Nicholas Papas KC said of Agrawal's actions. The court was told Agrawal sped from the scene in a panic but the 25-year-old eventually returned to the crash site. She told investigators it was dark on the morning of the crash, and she had switched on the car's autopilot mode, relying on the vehicle to take care of braking. Agrawal told police Ms Lagos "jumped in front of the car", meaning it was too late for the autopilot system to detect the pedestrian or for her to brake. Police analysis of the Tesla's telemetry and steering inputs revealed inconsistencies with Agrawal's story. Just 30 seconds before the crash, the autopilot feature was not switched on. Further, a "vulnerable road user" was detected and the car also triggered alerts for a potential collision. Police said there was no record the brake was applied and the data revealed she sped to 78 kph in the seconds after the crash. Mr Papas conceded his client had lied to police by making the false claim that the autopilot feature was activated. "The reality is she was trying to rationalise her own conduct, trying to explain the inexplicable and how she could do such a thing," he said. Agrawal's defence barrister says she was trying to 'beat the tram'. (ABC News) In Victoria, motorists are required to stay behind a tram when its driver indicates they are slowing down to allow passengers to board and disembark. Motorists are allowed to slowly drive past a tram once the door is closed and the road is clear of pedestrians. "When you're approaching a tram in a 60 zone you should slow down, and she hadn't," Mr Papas said. In an emotional victim impact statement, Ms Lagos described the confusion when she woke in hospital and was unable to remember anything from the crash. She said the incident had left her with permanent disabilities, including brain damage. Ms Lagos, who was 26 when the crash occurred, feared it would leave her unable to find a life partner and start a family. "Life without dreams is pretty grim. There's nothing to work towards," she said. "Every time I pass a car or see a tram, it's a reminder that this has happened to me." Prosecutor Lauren Gurry said Agrawal was inattentive behind the wheel, with CCTV from the area showing the tram's indicator lights flashing and the Tesla driver's vehicle following at speed. "There is a high risk that a collision would occur given the tram was stopping," Ms Gurry said. Police at the scene of the crash in Armadale in 2022.(ABC News) Agrawal spent two years fighting charges of dangerous driving causing serious injury and failure to stop, but changed her plea to guilty on the eve of a County Court trial that was due to begin last week. The dangerous driving charge carries a maximum jail term of five years, while the failure to stop offence could see her jailed for up to 10 years. Judge Peter Rozen will sentence Agrawal on May 10.Agrawal lied to police, defence attorney concedes
Court hears of long-term impacts to victim