Germany: 1 lifeless, 9 injured after take a look at automotive veers into site visitors

A take a look at automotive with autonomous steering functionality veered into oncoming site visitors in Germany, killing one particular person and significantly injuring 9 others, police mentioned Tuesday.

A spokesman for police within the southwestern city of Reutlingen mentioned the electrical BMW iX with 5 folks on board, together with a younger baby, swerved out of its lane at a bend within the highway, triggering a collection of collisions involving 4 automobiles Monday afternoon.

After brushing an oncoming Citroen, the BMW hit a Mercedes-Benz van head-on, ensuing within the loss of life of a 33-year-old passenger in that automobile.

The 70-year-old driver of the Citroen misplaced management of her automotive and crashed into one other automobile with two folks on board, pushing it off the highway and inflicting it to burst into flames.

Reutlingen police spokesman Michael Schaal mentioned 4 rescue helicopters and dozens of firefighters responded to the incident and the injured have been taken to a number of hospitals within the area. They included the 43-year-old driver of the BMW, three adults aged 31, 42 and 47, and a 18-month-old baby who have been all within the take a look at automobile.

Schaal mentioned police hadn’t but had a chance to interview these concerned within the crash.

“The crash vehicle was an autonomous electric test car,” police mentioned in a press release. “Whether it was being steered by the 43-year-old (driver) or not is the subject of investigation.”

BMW confirmed that certainly one of its take a look at automobiles was concerned in a collision close to Reutlingen, however denied that the automobile was absolutely autonomous.

“The vehicle has a level 2 driving assistance system that is already incorporated in production vehicles today and which can support the driver on demand,” the corporate mentioned. “With level 2 vehicles the driver always retains responsibility.”

BMW added that the automobile was required to be marked as a take a look at automotive for information safety functions, as a result of it was recording footage.

“We are in the process of investigating the exact circumstances (of the crash),” BMW mentioned. “Of course we are in close contact with authorities.”