Germany: Semi-Autonomous BMW Test Car Involved In Accident Leaving One Dead - Report

In an incident involving a semi-autonomous vehicle, a BMW iX was involved in a road accident near the town of Reutlingen, Germany. The vehicle, equipped with autonomous steering capability, veered into oncoming traffic brushing an oncoming Citroen before colliding head-on with a Mercedes van. The driver of the Citroen as a result lost control of their vehicle before colliding with another vehicle and pushing it off the road and causing it to burst into flames. 

As per local police, the BMW, with five people on board, including a child, exited its lane at a bend in the road, triggering the incident. The accident lead to the death of a 33-year-old passenger in the van while nine others including all occupants of the BMW were injured.

The Reutlingen police spokesperson said that four rescue helicopters and dozens firefighters responded to the scene with the injured taken to nearby hospitals. The police however at the time of the reports being published had not had a chance to speak to the parties involved in the accident. The spokesperson said that the BMW was an autonomous electric test car but it had yet to determine if the vehicle was being steered by the driver or left to the on-board systems.

BMW reportedly confirmed that a test vehicle of its was involved in an accident but stated that the test car was only Level 2 autonomous with the systems only supporting the driver on demand. The test car was reportedly being used to record footage on the road.

The company said that it too was investigating the incident.

Representational image used