Intoxicated Driver Facing Charges After Fatal Highway Crash Involving Partially Automated Vehicle

A woman driving a Ford Mustang Mach-E under the influence caused a fatal crash on I-95 in Philadelphia, killing two men. She faces multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle. The incident raises concerns about partially automated driving systems and their role in such accidents.

A woman was intoxicated and using a partially automated driving system when she caused a March highway crash in Philadelphia that killed two people, authorities said as they announced homicide charges against the driver.

State and federal investigators state the woman's Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV struck a stationary vehicle of a man who had stopped to assist another driver whose car had broken down on I-95. This early morning collision resulted in the deaths of both men.

The crash marks at least the second incident this year where a Mach-E collided with a stationary vehicle after dark, under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Another similar crash occurred in February on Interstate 10 in San Antonio, Texas, causing the death of a CR-V driver.

In a statement on Tuesday, Pennsylvania State Police emphasized that drivers using advanced technologies must always be ready to take control.

"No partially automated vehicle technology should ever be left alone to perform the driving tasks required to navigate roads safely," the agency cautioned.

Ford's Blue Cruise system, which the woman was using, allows drivers to remove their hands from the steering wheel on highways but is not entirely autonomous and monitors driver alertness.

Investigators believe Mustang driver Dimple Patel was using both Blue Cruise and Adaptive Cruise Control at 71 mph during the crash. A fourth vehicle was also impacted.

Twenty-three-year-old Dimple Patel, a pre-med student, turned herself into police and is now facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle while under the influence and involuntary manslaughter.

Her defence lawyer, Zak Goldstein, expressed the need to review the specifics of the incident and noted the legal complexities surrounding DUI-related homicides involving automated systems.

Ford is collaborating with state and federal authorities to review the incident and explore the performance of Blue Cruise and its monitoring mechanisms.

(With inputs from agencies.)