Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Hans Von Ohain died after the car hit a tree and burst into flames I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The widow of a man who died after his Tesla veered off the road and crashed into a tree while he was using its partially automated driving system is suing the carmaker claiming its marketing of the technology is dangerously misleading The Autopilot system prevented Hans Von Ohain from being able to keep his Model 3 Tesla on a Colorado road in 2022 according to the lawsuit filed by Nora Bass in state court on May 3 Von Ohain died after the car hit a tree and burst into flames Von Ohain was intoxicated at the time of the crash, according to a Colorado State Patrol report. He was three times the legal limit according to analysis of his blood-alcohol level in the autopsy report, according to the Denver Post. The Associated Press sent an email to Tesla's communications department seeking comment on Friday Tesla offers two partially automated systems Autopilot and a more sophisticated “Full Self Driving,” but the company says neither can drive itself which was also filed on behalf of the only child of Von Ohain and Bass released its Autopilot system before it was ready to be used in the real world It also claims the company has had a “reckless disregard for consumer safety and truth," citing a 2016 promotional video “By showcasing a Tesla vehicle navigating traffic without any hands on the steering wheel Tesla irresponsibly misled consumers into believing that their vehicles possessed capabilities far beyond reality,” it said of the video Last month, Tesla paid an undisclosed amount of money to settle a separate lawsuit that made similar claims, brought by the family of a Silicon Valley engineer who died in a 2018 crash while using Autopilot. Walter Huang's Model X veered out of its lane and began to accelerate before barreling into a concrete barrier located at an intersection on a busy highway in Mountain View, California. Evidence indicated that Huang was playing a video game on his iPhone when he crashed into the barrier on March 23, 2018. But his family claimed Autopilot was promoted in a way that caused vehicle owners to believe they didn’t have to remain vigilant while they were behind the wheel. U.S. auto safety regulators pressured Tesla into recalling more than 2 million vehicles in December to fix a defective system that’s supposed to make sure drivers pay attention when using Autopilot. In a letter to Tesla posted on the agency’s website this week, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigators wrote that they could not find any difference in the warning software issued after the recall and the software that existed before it. The agency says Tesla has reported 20 more crashes involving Autopilot since the recall. This image provided by Colorado State Patrol shows a Tesla Model 3 that crashed on May 16, 2022 in Clear Creek County, Colorado Tesla has denied that "any defect in the Autopilot system caused or contributed" to the 2022 death of a Tesla employee whose Tesla Model 3 burst into flames after the car suddenly veered off a road and crashed into a tree "Von Ohain fought to regain control of the vehicle, but, to his surprise and horror, his efforts were prevented by the vehicle's Autopilot features, leaving him helpless and unable to steer back on course," a wrongful death lawsuit filed in May by von Ohain's wife In Tesla's response to the lawsuit filed Thursday the carmaker also denied that the 2021 vehicle had any defects contradicting Bass' claims that Tesla knew that the car should have been recalled but chose to "prioritize profits over consumer safety." Bass believes the Tesla Model 3 was defective in that it "did not perform as safely as an ordinary consumer would have expected it to perform" and "the benefits of the vehicle's design did not outweigh the risks." Instead of acknowledging alleged defects and exploring alternative designs Tesla marketed the car as being engineered "to be the safest" car "built to date," Bass' complaint said Von Ohain was particularly susceptible to this marketing, Bass has said, because he considered Tesla CEO Elon Musk to be a “brilliant man,” The Washington Post reported and we were willing to be part of that,” Bass said but the couple didn't realize how allegedly dangerous it could be to help train "futuristic technology," The Post reported the carmaker defended its marketing of the Tesla Model 3 denying that the company "engaged in unfair and deceptive acts or practices." "The product in question was not defective or unreasonably dangerous," Tesla's filing said Insisting in its response that the vehicle was safe when it was sold which claimed that "at no time after the purchase of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 did any person alter or change any aspect or component of the vehicle's design or manufacture." Contradicting this Tesla suggested that the car "may not have been in the same condition at the time of the crash as it was at the time when it left Tesla’s custody." The Washington Post broke the story about von Ohain's fatal crash reporting that it may be "the first documented fatality linked to the most advanced driver assistance technology offered" by Tesla told The Post that his team is "committed to advocating fiercely for the von Ohain family ensuring they receive the justice they deserve." Michaels told The Post that perhaps as significant as alleged autonomous driving flaws the Tesla Model 3 was also allegedly defective "because of the intensity of the fire that ensued after von Ohain hit the tree which ultimately caused his death." According to the Colorado police officer looking into the crash the vehicle fire was among "the most intense" he'd ever investigated Lawyers for Bass and Tesla did not immediately respond to Ars' request for comment Bass has asked a jury to award damages for wrongful death and survival hoping to recover funds for her and the couple's young daughter Earlier this week, Tesla filed Monday to move the case to federal court because the damages claimed likely exceed $75,000 Tesla also argued that Bass' right to recover any damages should be reduced because any injuries were seemingly either caused by von Ohain's negligence or some entity other than Tesla Tesla seems to be emphasizing there that Bass' complaint avoids mentioning that an autopsy found that von Ohain's blood alcohol level was "more than three times the legal limit in Colorado," The Washington Post reported at the time of the crash Von Ohain had apparently been drinking while golfing that day but Michaels told The Post that the family intends to dispute the toxicology report who registered a similar level of intoxication after the crash told cops that von Ohain did not appear too intoxicated to drive Rossiter also told the cops that the Tesla Model 3 self-driving issues started on the way to the golf course when Ohain "struggled to navigate the mountain curves" and had to "repeatedly" "yank" the car "back on course," The Post reported Tesla suggested that von Ohain "misused the 2021 Tesla Model 3." Although Tesla said it still needed to complete discovery and its own investigation into the crash the carmaker suggested that claims should be tossed because the family failed to "preserve evidence relating to the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Cops were "unable to access data from the car" because of "the intensity of the fire," The Post reported Tesla is currently defending against at least eight lawsuits alleging flaws in its self-driving technologies but "in recent months" seemed more willing to settle "despite Musk’s vow on Twitter in 2022 to never settle 'an unjust case against us even if we will probably lose.'" Tesla seems prepared to fight Bass' claims noting in a filing Monday that "Tesla disputes that it is liable for any damages whatsoever." Police say a dispute over money is behind the shooting of Baroness Myriam Ullens Photo-illustrations by Beatrice Caciotti for POLITICO On a cold and overcast morning in March 2023 Nicolas Ullens sat in a van outside his family’s estate in a plush suburb an hour’s drive from Brussels the Baron Guy Ullens — once one of the richest men in Belgium — for money drove out of the estate at the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf her 88-year-old husband in the passenger seat As the Golf passed the gate of the property walked up to the driver’s window and fired six bullets killing his stepmother and injuring his father he turned himself in at a nearby police station and confessed to the crime Those are the facts of the day that marked the end of Myriam’s life They featured many storylines: a declining empire of colonial riches; scrambles up (and down) the social ranks; a caricatured stepmother; a failed whistleblowing attempt; all taking place in an elite game of reputations and fortunes the press and the public have all argued their sequences of events that led up to this critical morning each author’s variation will be played out on the austere stage of a criminal court in the Belgian city of Nivelles a family’s standing is determined by three things: rank money and how far back its lineage can be traced Originally a family of wealthy merchants and financiers from the port city of Antwerp when Belgium was under Spanish rule — meaning that their title is older than their country That title was awarded by Charles II, king of Spain, “a source of great pride for the family,” according to Jean-François Houtart, the author of a book tracing the history of Belgium’s most ancient families This makes the Ullens part of the Belgian nobility’s inner circle. There are roughly 1,200 aristocratic families in Belgium, a total of 32,500 people — but only about 350 families were already noble before the French Revolution the Ullens family ranks high,” said Houtart The Ullens built their wealth at a time when Antwerp was the main trading center for colonial goods in Europe Ships docked there to unload their precious cargoes of spices and sugar the baron-turned-businessman headed up the sugar producer Raffinerie Tirlemontoise which had a quasi-monopoly on Belgium’s beetroot sugar refining industry By 2014, Guy’s personal fortune was estimated at over €3 billion which he’d splashed on lavish properties — in China the swanky French sea town of Saint-Tropez and Belgium — and art With this growing prestige came additional distinctions Guy was awarded the rank of knight of the French Légion d’honneur However, much of the baron’s wealth relied on the family holding’s golden goose, WeightWatchers, which had gone public in 2001 And as the share price of the U.S. weight loss giant plunged, so did the baron’s fortune, which is currently valued at between €200 and €300 million Guy’s wealth had been reduced to a tenth of his former affluence But Guy had not been enjoying his riches alone and the conclusion of an affair that had been going on for eight years where her father was stationed during her childhood she had raised two children from her first marriage on her own while Guy was running the largest sugar business in the country she was making pastries in her kitchen and delivering them to restaurants She met Guy when her business was taking off and she was looking for an associate. “It was love at first sight … I didn’t even know that was possible,” she later told French public broadcaster France 2 For most of the year, Guy and Myriam — or “Mimi,” as she was known — lived in a fancy Swiss ski resort where the Belgian royal family regularly stays in the winter “Our main ‘houses’ are a plane and a boat,” Guy told The Wall Street Journal in 2013 Myriam’s pastry days were long gone — she had sold the business during her affair with Guy — and she took on a new set of activities, which included the launch of a high-end fashion brand, Maison Ullens, in 2009 the flamboyant couple quickly became the talk of the town “When a woman marries a wealthy man … tongues begin to wag,” said Hugo Strachwitz a British nobleman familiar with the practices of Europe’s aristocratic circles. “As a … relatively new arrival within society one of the quickest ways to gain acceptance is by dispensing as much charity as possible.” Myriam, who had “always dreamed of doing charity work,” asked the baron to finance schools, orphanages and a maternity center in Nepal she opened a foundation helping cancer patients in Belgian Mimi never seemed to gain acceptance in the muffled world of the Old Continent’s aristocracy “an amount of humility is expected that she did not exercise,” said Strachwitz “Being outspoken is never a good way to enter a new community.” Myriam said her new life as a billionaire’s wife came with its share of issues “You have just as many problems when you’re rich as when you’re poor one of four children from Guy’s first marriage Nicolas had worked for the Belgian civil intelligence service a prestigious position — albeit in the shadows — suited to the son of a well-respected family But in 2018 he resigned, later claiming to have uncovered a money laundering and corruption scheme as part of his work as an intelligence officer The network’s apparent masterminds were Didier Reynders and his longtime adviser and right-hand man for over 20 years In an 11-minute clip entitled “The adventures of Didi and Fonty — shady business in Kinshasa,” Nicolas claimed to have found irregularities in the construction of a new Belgian embassy in Congo — a former Belgian colony — for which he said Reynders and his adviser bore responsibility Nicolas went to the police with his findings. These were investigated by the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, which closed the case a few weeks later due to the lack of evidence against Reynders Reynders had been nominated to serve as Belgium’s European commissioner and was ultimately awarded the justice portfolio Contacted by POLITICO when he was still commissioner Reynders’ Cabinet declined to comment on the legal proceedings When discussing the Nicolas Ullens case after Myriam’s murder “serene,” one of his former advisers recalled “He simply told me that [Nicolas] Ullens was ‘a madman who told POLITICO he was “never” approached by prosecutors in the case “I have nothing to answer” to Nicolas’ accusations That case cost Nicolas his job, his reputation and nearly landed him in jail. In January 2021, the Brussels prosecutor’s office opened an investigation against him for breaches of professional secrecy The prosecutor’s office told POLITICO the investigation is ongoing Between the family’s business activities taking a sour turn and his father and stepmother’s grand lifestyle The day after Myriam’s killing, the local prosecutor’s office issued a statement saying the suspected killer had justified his deed “in the context of a family dispute The gruesome details of Myriam’s murder were splashed all over the national press, on both sides of Belgium’s language barrier. The baron’s wealth and notoriety as a patron of the arts also earned his deceased wife a eulogy in The New York Times As journalists seized on this Belgian noir gorging on the macabre details of a case that seemed ripped from a true crime novel the story began to focus not on the misdeeds of the alleged murderer — but on his victim.  Nicolas complained of his “awful stepmother” whom he accused of diverting the family’s money toward her two adult children from a previous marriage at the expense of the baron’s four biological children In an interview with Belgian daily Het Nieuwsblad published two days after the murder accused Myriam of “want[ing] everything for herself” and “destroy[ing]” the family In another, published by Het Laatste Nieuws several months later the former wife of Myriam’s son claimed she had been a “manipulator” who “played with people like Lego blocks.” said the media frenzy portraying the baron’s wife as a “venal stepmother” was “very very shocking.” He refuted claims that she had taken advantage of the family’s wealth saying the baron “gave to everyone,” his four children and two stepchildren to accept money from your husband?” the lawyer asked In several months’ time, from the dock of the accused, Nicolas will have to face his father, who has chosen not to speak publicly since the murder. Days after the shooting, Guy filed a civil lawsuit against his son The court and the 12 jurors will have to assess whether the murder was premeditated — which Nicolas denies Nicolas’ lawyers declined to comment before the trial. In April 2023, shortly after the murder, his legal team spoke to Le Soir.  it’s about human relationships,” said Dimitri De Beco are expected to take the stand during the trial Myriam’s children and grandchildren as well as family friends who can attest to the bond (or lack thereof) that the baron and Myriam shared The personalities and characters of Myriam and Nicolas as presented by the witnesses picked by both sides will also be crucial elements of the proceedings When the trial eventually starts, all of the case’s protagonists will have the chance to say their piece. All but one: Myriam, who was buried in April 2023 CORRECTED: This article was updated to reflect the current name of the UCCA Centre for Contemporary Art Tesla is now defending its Model 3 electric vehicle after it was involved in a 2022 fatal crash where the driver was allegedly unable to steer in the right direction because of Autopilot The vehicle burst into flames after it hit the tree claiming that the Model 3 was a defective vehicle and should have been recalled Tesla said that it was not defective and was working as advertised Tesla has responded (via Ars Technica) to a recent lawsuit filed by the aggrieved widow of a 2022 Model 3 crash that claimed the life of Hans von Ohain the driver and owner of the said electric vehicle The company said that the Model 3 was not defective contrary to the claims of the victim's wife in a recent lawsuit she filed against the company last May The company claimed that the 2021 Model 3 EV the car that von Ohain drove during the crash that claimed his life was not defective and did not need to be recalled Tesla said that when von Ohain bought the vehicle no alterations or changes were made to the Model 3 a contradictory statement from the company suggested that the car may not have been in the same condition as when it was bought The said 2021 Model 3 crash claimed the life of von Ohain as while using the Autopilot and Bass claimed that he tried to steer it in the right direction but the assistive driving tech did not permit him to do so with the Model 3 bursting into flames afterward While Tesla has been cleared of previous accidents and crash lawsuits, various complaints against the company have centered on federal regulators and their opposition to the company's development of its EVs. Last May, the NHTSA ordered Tesla to recall its clean energy cars and fix its Autopilot by July and failure to do so could result in a massive $135 million fine However, not only that, the recent decision of an administrative judge has now allowed the agencies looking to pursue a case against Tesla about false advertisement of its Full-Self Driving (FSD) This centers on another massive case against Tesla's self-driving technology with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) interested in pushing this case Several crashes involving Tesla electric vehicles have centered on different accidents and crashes that led to the EV bursting into flames but none yet have led to the company being held liable A new case against Tesla is fighting against its technology including its alleged misleading claims regarding its safety Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage — After more than eight months of investigating the Colorado State Patrol has finished its investigation into a May 2022 Tesla crash and subsequent fire in Evergreen that killed one person died at the scene after his 2021 Tesla Model 3 went off the road but Von Ohain was unable to exit the Tesla Von Ohain was tragic,” Colorado State Patrol Sgt What’s still unknown is why Von Ohain could not get out of the car and if the car was using an auto-drive function at the time of the crash “I am unable to conclusively determine why (Von Ohain) did not exit the vehicle.” Madden said due the remote location of the crash and the fire investigators were unable to obtain any electronic data from the car determine that Von Ohain had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.264 which is more than three times the legal limit “The driver of the vehicle was under the influence of alcohol and his driving actions caused his death,” Madden said “That is difficult to say because he has a grieving family.” Madden stressed that everyone who owns and drives an electric vehicle should read the manual and know how to get out of the car if the electronics fail “This is a lesson we can all learn from,” he said Denver7 Investigates previously reported on this crash last year and discovered multiple examples of fires after electric cars were involved in crashes and drivers and passengers having trouble exiting the car “I think your story is a great example of what is needed to change the public intelligence on the new vehicles that are being sold in the United States,” Madden said That requires additional thought on how to use the car.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla’s automated driving system Tesla announced a recall of more than 350,000 of its vehicles with “full driving” or “auto drive system.” The recall is a software update because NHTSA says the current software allows vehicles to exceed the speed limit or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner While it’s not proven that the auto-drive function played a role in Von Ohain’s crash his vehicle would have been part of that recall The couple: Hans and Nora (Bass) von Ohain The story: Nora and Hans met as students at Ohio University before moving to a 600-square-foot studio in Brooklyn and eventually to a new home in Denver proposed to Nora in San Diego shortly after finishing boot camp The vendors: Photography by Derk’s Works Photography; Nora wore her mother’s wedding gown and grandmother’s jewelry while Hans wore a suit by Tommy Hilfiger; wedding party attire from Henri’s Cloud Nine Banana Republic and GAP Kids; catering and florals by Jorgensen Farms; music by Brian Douglas Day and Tidal Wave Dave; videography by Blue Skies HD Video the widow of a driver killed in a crash that involved FSD has accused the automaker of selling a "false sense of security" with the software In 2022, Tesla employee Hans von Ohain was driving his Model 3 electric vehicle alongside Erik Rossiter. The pair had been out playing golf one afternoon and had a few drinks before heading home. On the drive back, von Ohain reportedly let his Tesla take control of the ride by initiating its FSD software, reports the Washington Post However, the drive ended in disaster when the Model 3 careered off the road and burst into flames "The Tesla Model 3 barreled into a tree and exploded in flames a Tesla employee and devoted fan of CEO Elon Musk told emergency responders that von Ohain was using an "auto-drive feature on the Tesla" that "just ran straight off the road," according to a 911 dispatch recording obtained by The Washington Post Rossiter said he believes that von Ohain was using Full Self-Driving which — if true — would make his death the first known fatality involving Tesla's most advanced driver-assistance technology." Von Ohain's crash is complicated, though, as a postmortem following his death revealed that he was three times over the legal blood alcohol limit to drive. Still, police investigating the crash have sought to uncover the role FSD played in von Ohain's death said she has been unable to find a lawyer willing to take his case to court because he was legally intoxicated Tesla should take at least some responsibility for her husband's death Musk has claimed that this car can drive itself and is essentially better than a human," Bass said In the aftermath of the crash, investigators found that the Tesla continued to feed power to the wheels after impact They also didn't identify any signs that Von Ohain nor the car itself had applied the brakes to try and stop the Model 3 as it came off the road was a clear sign that "fits with the [driver-assistance] feature being engaged." Due to the intensity of the fire and the destruction of the car that it cause, Colorado investigators have been unable to access data from the car to determine if FSD really was engaged Tesla said that it "...could not confirm that a driver-assistance system had been in use because it did not receive data over-the-air for this incident," reports the Post Tesla did report the crash to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of its continued reporting of crashes involving its Autopilot and FSD systems NHTSA could not confirm which program was involved in the crash Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors was test-flown only days before Germany invaded Poland to start World War II despite the technical breakthrough the He 178 represented physicist and engineer Hans von Ohain developed an interest in turbojet propulsion He later said he had no idea other people were also starting work on similar ideas British engineer Frank Whittle had patented a design for a turbojet engine in 1930 approached aircraft designer Ernst Heinkel about funding his research into turbojet engines von Ohan had built a working prototype engine Heinkel and his engineers set about building a plane around von Ohain’s turbojet The project that resulted in the He 178 was kept quiet: Heinkel knew that a jet-powered plane would have serious military applications And it was clear another war in Europe was in the making using lightweight but sturdy materials to handle what was hoped would be high speeds of turbojet propulsion A large air intake was built into the plane’s nose: efficient air intake would be crucial to the operation of the engine the He 178 was ready for its first test flight at the Heinkel airfield in Rostock-Marienehe Experienced test pilot Erich Warsitz was selected to make the first flight powered by a turbojet engine The plane flew smoothly but performed not quite as well as its builders had hoped but could hold enough fuel to fly for only 10 minutes departed saying they saw no practical use for the He 178 they pointed out Heinkel’s manufacturing firm was behind on building the planes he had been hired to build Disappointed but still convinced about the future of jet propulsion Heinkel launched development of a twin-engine fighter jet like mounting engines on the wings of the plane would select a design by a rival manufacturer instead was busy at work on their own jet aircraft Luftwaffe officials demanded a plane capable of flying 530 mph for an hour changed the jet’s role from a fighter to a ground attack plane and bomber working independently of Ohain in Great Britain had come up with a similar engine that Ohain had invented Because early jet engines were so underpowered it was decided to fit the Meteor with two engines Production of the plane was slowed by the war effort The plane was put into service in July 1944 intercepting German V-1 flying bombs over England The Meteor would be used by the Royal Air Force though the mid-1950s and then by other nations well into the 1960s shared the turbojet technology it had used on the engine for the Gloster Meteor with Bell Aircraft of the U.S. which used it to develop the P-59 Airacomet and work continued throughout 1943 and 1944 Army Air Force placed an order for 100 Bell P-59 jets but that was cut to 50 Bell gave one plane to the Royal Air Force which found it inferior to their own planes The P-59 was also found unsuitable for carrier operations by the U.S While Bell found only limited success with the XP-59 rival aircraft manufacturer Lockheed was developing the P-80 Four prototype planes were sent to Europe for testing but the war ended before the planes saw combat Originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor the P-80 was redesignated as the F-80 when its role was changed to a fighter plane to exceed 500 mph in level flight and the first to participate in an all-jet fighter air battle shooting down a Russian-built MiG-15 in 1950 in Korea These early jet fighters gulped a lot of fuel so it was clear more development was needed added lessons learned from examining German made jet engines to develop the J57 Pratt & Whitney engine that used two compressors to increase power and efficiency be used in military fighters such as the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo and the Vought F-8 Crusader bombers like the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and in civilian airliners such as the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8 © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy His friend and fellow passenger Erik Rossiter, who survived the collision, has since told The Washington Post that von Ohain had the car's Full Self-Driving feature turned on at the time of the fatal accident the crash could be the first known death involving the feature an optional $15,000 add-on that has already drawn plenty of attention from regulators WaPo also confirmed the vehicle was equipped with the feature — von Ohain received it for free with his employee discount — and his widow also said he frequently made use of it Despite the company's misleading marketing, Tesla vehicles are still far from being able to drive themselves, and cautions on its website that drivers must be "ready to take immediate action including braking." Full Self-Driving (FSD) expands on the company's Autopilot driver assistance software and is designed to make decisions on behalf of the user while driving on both highways and busy city streets While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is already investigating Autopilot following a series of accidents in which Teslas have smashed into emergency response vehicles that were pulled over with sirens or flares no fatal crash has been definitively linked to FSD — though von Ohain's death Out of over 700 crashes involving the feature since 2019 An autopsy of von Ohain's body found that he died with a blood alcohol level of 0.26 experts have pointed out that Tesla's misleading marketing may be giving drivers a false sense of security behind the wheel In spite of Tesla's outsize claims about the tech Tesla holds that its FSD feature is still in "beta," meaning that it's still actively being developed Its decisionmaking on the road can be highly suspect. In a video uploaded just last week a Tesla owner had to override the feature after it attempted to make an abrupt left turn Von Ohain's death raises important ethical questions Is Tesla's misleading marketing to blame or was it a case of an driver's reckless actions Earlier this week, the lawyer of a Tesla driver who at first denied having killed a woman with his Tesla in a hit-and-run, is now saying that he couldn't remember if he did — and if he did he must've been "using Tesla's full self-driving capability." Musk has claimed that this car can drive itself and is essentially better than a human," von Ohain's widow Nora Bass told WaPo "We were sold a false sense of security." she found the feature too unpredictable and "jerky." A lot is riding on the feature, with Musk arguing in 2022 that FSD is "the difference between Tesla being worth a lot of money and being worth basically zero." Even with its full weight behind developing the feature the software is still a long way from realizing its stated goal of full autonomy Musk has repeatedly promised that Tesla is going to achieve Level 5 autonomy in a matter of less than a year a point at which a car is fully autonomous and doesn't need a steering wheel or brake pedal However, today the feature still hasn't surpassed Level 2 autonomy requiring the driver to take over at any time Tesla has yet to publicly acknowledge von Ohain's death More on FSD: Tesla Driver Says He's Not Sure If He Killed a Pedestrian Because He Was on Autopilot Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service A Tesla recruiter lost his life in a tragic incident in 2022 while using the electric vehicle's (EV) Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature The fatal accident occurred on a Colorado mountain road when Hans von Ohain's Tesla Model 3 veered off the road Surviving passenger and friend Erik Rossiter informed emergency responders that the victim had activated the "auto-drive feature" before the crash. In a report, The Washington Post wrote that this would be Tesla's first driver-assistance fatality if the incident gets officially connected with FSD. Even though von Ohain was legally drunk officials are investigating Tesla's software's participation in the disaster federal officials have recorded over 900 Tesla driver-assistance system crashes with at least 40 causing serious or fatal injuries Tesla calls FSD "beta" but highlights its importance for road safety after releasing it to 400,000 customers Tesla user guides listed scenarios where FSD may not work and the EV manufacturer emphasizes driver control The reported Tesla accidents cast doubt on autonomous driving and driver-assistance technology safety emphasizing regulatory attention and the necessity to comprehend changing technology on public roadways Though Tesla has not yet commented on the issue, it warns that Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving Capability are designed to be utilized by a fully aware driver, grasping the wheel and ready to take control at any time "While these features are designed to become more capable over time the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous," Tesla stated a Marine veteran and Tesla employee since 2020 was a believer in the potential of Tesla's full self-driving technology and frequently utilized the feature Given Elon Musk's claims about the technology's capabilities expressed worries about the false sense of security FSD provides Bass highlighted her struggle to secure legal representation due to her husband's state of intoxication she maintained that Tesla shares some responsibility for her spouse's demise emphasizing that regardless of Hans's level of intoxication Musk claimed that the car could operate autonomously and was essentially superior to a human Tesla's self-driving claims are under investigation by the government. Despite Elon Musk's frequent promises regarding autonomous vehicles Tesla's history is now tainted by the FSD tragedies One of multiple Tesla lawsuits is led by Nabilah Hussain a lawyer alleging that the EV firm advertised a non-existent fully self-driving device "Tesla is marketing and trying to sell you a product that doesn't exist," Hussain said in the article Tesla has not officially recognized von Ohain's death raising issues about the company's duty and contact with employees and their families The incident highlights persistent technical and ethical concerns around incorporating autonomous driving technology into daily use Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Justin Veazie A deadly single-car crash in Evergreen involving a Tesla is now part of a federal investigation that is looking into the safety of electric vehicles Denver7 Investigates confirmed that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has collected data and information from the crash as part of its investigation The crash happened in the late evening of May 16 on Upper Bear Creek Road when the car went off the road and slammed into a tree notes that the passenger said the car was in its “auto drive” function Radio communication from dashcam footage of the accident obtained by Denver7 Investigates backs up that report Questions still remain regarding if and how the auto drive function played a role in the crash and if the lithium ion batteries in the Tesla contributed to the intensity of the fire has yet to finalize its report from the crash but is working to answer those questions Rob Madden said the investigation will attempt to determine why the driver could not open his door what his condition was after impact and how the electronics operated after the fire started “Those are all questions we may not have answers to,” he said a company that trains emergency workers on how to save lives in car crashes Shoemaker provided training to the Evergreen Fire Protection District after this crash and said he believes the driver was awake and alert but was unable to open the door Shoemaker also studies post-crash fires in electric vehicles and other examples where drivers could not get out of the vehicle He cited an accident in British Columbia where a driver kicked the window out of the driver-side door in a Tesla that had caught fire in the road “His reaction was to kick the window out,” he said Shoemaker added that the driver probably would not have survived Shoemaker said all electric cars have a manual release to get out of the car when the electric systems fail he estimates less than 1% of people know how to get out of the car in an emergency situation The same car can also have different ways to get out if a person is in the front seat or the back seat Shoemaker suggests electric car vehicle owners look through their manuals to see how they can get out of the car should the electronics fail Earlier this year, published reports announced NHTSA was expanding its investigation into the auto drive function on several Tesla models including the 2021 Model 3 involved in the Evergreen crash “They have all the information from this crash and they are looking at this at their level,” Madden said He added that he does not know if the Tesla involved in the crash in Evergreen was being driven by the auto drive or auto pilot function CSP is also investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash The hope is that a complete report will be ready by the end of the year and that is what we owe to the family and to friends and to the public to give them answers,” Madden said NHTSA said it does comment on ongoing investigations Tesla has not responded to multiple requests for comment These appointments will commence with the new academic year with a formal installation on Oct “Please join me in congratulating Markus Margie and Becky on their appointments to these prestigious positions,” said Eddy Rojas School of Engineering.“ I have every confidence that these individuals will advance their scholarship and continue their leadership within the School through these new roles.” Candidates for department specific positions were nominated by the faculty development committee within the department For positions not associated with a specific department a nominating and selection committee of current endowed chairs and the associate deans submitted candidate recommendations.  Associate Dean Margie Pinnell recused herself from the process after her name came into nomination Endowed chairs must be full-time faculty at the rank of associate or full professor and have a record of vigorous and productive scholarship Recipients receive the services of a graduate student researcher or the opportunity to teach one less class as well as a small discretionary fund to support scholarly work.  an associate professor whose research focuses on the area of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been appointed to this endowed chair position The Hans von Ohain Endowed Chair in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering was established in 1999 to honor Dr who joined University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) as a senior research engineer and the University as a professor in 1979 This endowed chair empowers the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to maintain its leadership position in engineering education and scholarly research in the areas of aerospace fuels combustion and thermal management.  Rumpfkeil has over 50 peer reviewed journal and conference papers and was recently named associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Rumpfkeil will use this endowed chair position to lead a committee to explore the feasibility of the University becoming part of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program.   A member of the nominating and selection committee commented drive and productivity as a researcher and also possesses a strong interest in contributing to a rich academic community by integrating students and faculty in meaningful activities.”  associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and associate dean for faculty and staff development has been appointed as the Bernhard Schmidt Chair in Engineering Leadership This position was established in 2003 in honor of Dr distinguished electrical engineer and UD alumnus The position is meant to establish the School of Engineering as a school of excellence and a leader in engineering education Pinnell has a strong record of leadership in the School of Engineering She served as the acting director for ETHOS for over ten years helping to establish ETHOS as a nationally recognized program and a distinctive program at UD As the associate dean for faculty and staff development she is working to enhance the culture and climate of the School of Engineering helping faculty achieve their professional goals and promoting diversity equity and inclusion among the faculty and staff.  Pinnell will leverage the endowed chair position to engage in research on leadership development at UD and elsewhere issues of gender equity and inclusive excellence in leadership development and will examine the potential for a leadership across the curriculum model for student leadership development  A member of the nominating and selection committee commented “Margie is already a strong and respected leader within the School Her impact extends far beyond the School of Engineering to the greater UD community and she is firmly committed to engineering education.” associate professor in the Department of Engineering Management and Technology and director of the Innovation Center This position was established in 1970 with a bequest from Mr long-time friend and benefactor of the University and the founder of the Dayton Power & Light Company and Tait Manufacturing This position was created to help advance research and innovation in the School of Engineering.  Blust has a wealth of both industrial and academic experience in innovation The Innovation Center is one of the School of Engineering’s flagship experiential learning opportunities and a key industry and community partner the Innovation Center facilitated approximately 150 projects and served approximately 75 percent of graduating seniors.   she is serving as an inaugural faculty fellow at the Institute for Applied Creativity (IACT) and is deeply involved with the GEMnasium a collaborative hands-on ‘test lab’ and innovative transdisciplinary teaching space Blust also works with University and community partners to determine an impactful innovative purpose for the Dayton Arcade complex downtown She will leverage the endowed chair position to help distinguish UD from other universities by creating an environment that enhances students’ ability to integrate and apply creative thoughts and ideas to both engineering and societal problems.   “Becky Blust is an outstanding faculty in engineering technology She contributes significantly to the Innovation Center activities in the School of Engineering and plays a key role in establishing cross-campus collaborations and trans-disciplinary and experiential learning programs.” Madden said that "given the crash dynamics and how the vehicle drove off the road with no evidence of a sudden maneuver that fits with the [driver-assistance] feature" being engaged as one of the "most intense" vehicle fires he had encountered due largely to the lithium-ion battery cells housed in the undercarriage of the Tesla that Ohain was driving Ohain's cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation and thermal injuries and Madden said he probably would have survived the crash had it not been for the intensity of the flames But since Tesla has so far been silent about Ohain's death she told the outlet she felt she and her husband were "just guinea pigs" ironing out the kinks in the tech with a false promise of safety Musk has claimed that this car can drive itself and is essentially better than a human," Bass told the Post Bass and representatives for Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider Tesla's disclaimer for its current self-driving technology reads: "Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability are intended for use with a fully attentive driver who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment While these features are designed to become more capable over time the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous." Tesla's Full Self-Driving capability is still in beta testing which tragically claimed the life of a Tesla engineering recruiter behind the wheel of a Model 3 has alleged that the driver was utilizing “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) when the vehicle careened off the road The fiery crash that claimed Hans von Ohain’s life occurred near Denver in 2022 as he and his friend, Erik Rossiter, were returning home after a game of golf. Both men’s blood alcohol levels were over the legal limit. Rossiter’s claim that FSD was engaged raises questions about the system’s safety and the way drivers interact with it Read: Tesla Autopilot Recall Fix Sparks Complaints From Both Owners And Regulators Von Ohain’s widow, Nora Bass, described her husband as a true believer in both Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, in a recent interview with The Washington Post. She claimed that he used FSD at every opportunity he had though she found it too jerky and unsettling to use herself That description was echoed by Rossiter, who stated that his friend used FSD both on the way to and from the golf course. He added that the ride there was “uncomfortable” due to the car driving jerkily, and von Ohain had to repeatedly correct its course as the Model 3 struggled to navigate the winding roads outside of Denver Challenges Surrounding FSD and Data Recovery Rossiter described his memory of the accident as spotty While NHTSA documents confirm that Tesla’s driver assistance systems were engaged 30 seconds prior to the accident there is little more official data available The car was too badly burned in the accident to recover data and von Ohain was driving in too rural an area for over-the-air data to confirm an FSD timeline official data cannot even confirm whether it was FSD or Autopilot that was engaged Although investigations have been conducted regarding the use of Autopilot in accidents with victims Tesla maintains that no fatal accidents have been recorded while FSD was engaged That has helped the automaker justify the technology’s use on public roads, despite still officially being in “beta” mode. Tesla points to America’s notably large number of on-road fatalities as evidence that driver assistance technologies need to be developed as quickly as possible and therefore should continue to be allowed on its roads even before they are officially out of beta testing and Tesla’s insistence that it is a “full self-driving” system Bass said that she thinks the automaker bears some responsibility for her husband’s death “You’re told that this car should be smarter than you you relax,” she told The Washington Post “Your reaction time is going to be less than if we were not in Full Self-Driving.” due to von Ohain’s level of intoxication she stated that she has been unable to find a lawyer to take his case to court experts agree that consumers need to be aware that their vehicle cannot yet fully drive for them like Arizona State University professor of advanced technology transitions are even more direct and claim that FSD “isn’t quite ready for prime time yet.” Criticism of Tesla’s Handling and Support Tesla’s stance on FSD isn’t the only aspect drawing criticism Von Ohain’s parents and his widow expressed disappointment with the way the company treated them following his loss Bass stated that the company’s silence regarding her husband was almost cruel and the first communication they received from Tesla was a termination notice addressed to the deceased von Ohain Musk claims the autonomous driving feature was never even downloaded though the billionaire CEO didn’t provide evidence to back up his claim “He was not on FSD. The software had unfortunately never been downloaded. I say ‘unfortunately’, because the accident probably would not have happened if FSD had been engaged,” Musk wrote on X early Wednesday in response to a tweet from a user questioning what really happened involved a Tesla employee named Hans von Ohain who was driving just outside Denver claims von Ohain was using Full Self-Driving at the time of the crash on a mountain road and even quotes the surviving passenger about an alleged incident just before the crash From the Washington Post report: was struggling to navigate the mountain curves forcing von Ohain repeatedly to yank it back on course who described the five-mile drive on the outskirts of Denver as “uncomfortable.” “And he was like Rossiter reportedly told emergency responders the Tesla Model 3 was using an “auto-drive feature on the Tesla” that “just ran straight off the road,” quotes from the Post that appear in a 911 call from the incident Gizmodo could not independently verify the words used in the call both von Ohain and Rossiter were drunk on the night of the crash with von Ohain registering a blood alcohol level of 0.26 But von Ohain’s widow insists it doesn’t matter whether her late husband was drunk at the time of the crash Musk has claimed that this car can drive itself and is essentially better than a human,” the widow Investigators in Colorado have been looking into the crash though information has been difficult to obtain given the intensity of the fire Colorado police were unable to access data from the car because of the intensity of the fire and Tesla said it could not confirm that a driver-assistance system had been in use because it “did not receive data over-the-air for this incident.” Madden said the remote location may have hindered communications Full Self-Driving has been a lightning rod of controversy in recent years drivers are supposed to remain attentive to the road while using FSD and are solely responsible for any accidents that may occur But the name alone gives customers the impression the Tesla feature means the car will drive itself—an understandable expectation with a name like “Full Self-Driving.” Critics of FSD point out that its experimental nature makes everyone on public roads guinea pigs for a very new technology whether we’ve opted in on the experiment or not And several lawsuits have been filed across the country over the emerging tech Tesla did not immediately respond to questions emailed Wednesday ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " After studying a new Imperial College London thesis there is a danger the reader might be left perplexed the text downplays the role of Whittle as the “inventor” of the jet engine Hermione Giffard challenges the role of the “lone inventor” preferring to regard large corporations as true innovators.  The 323-page study is an invaluable document that reflects the author’s painstaking research into the development of the jet engine But one is left asking: why use 1936 as the starting point Surely the starting point for the research should be 1928 when Whittle sought an alternative to the piston engine/propeller combination Whittle applied for a provisional patent in January 1930 The patent entered the public domain in April 1931 It was registered at the Berlin patent office in mid-August 1931 with details circulated among all aeronautical companies and research establishments.  Because there are several questions Giffard might have sought to address Was the jet engine invented simultaneously in Britain and Germany as promoted in various places in the UK and the US And did one of the German turbojet experimental engines run before the start-up of Whittle’s engine Whittle recorded that “testing of the engine commenced on 13 April 1937 and continued intermittently until 23 August” Yet Giffard records that German inventor Hans von Ohain started testing his engine in March 1937 as noted by von Ohain himself – despite Ernst Heinkel writing that tests on the engine began in September 1937 von Ohain became a student at the aerodynamic research division of the University of Göttingen shortly after the patent details had been lodged there His own research into jet propulsion began in 1934 subsequently attracted the attention of Heinkel Von Ohain desired a smooth-running aeroengine while Whittle aimed for an engine that outperformed a piston/propeller combination and ran on liquid fuel.  Did von Ohain’s professors mention the possibility of jet propulsion at Junkers Flugzeugwerke ,also launched himself into turbojet development His engine owed nothing to von Ohain’s work yet Giffard does not include him as one of her “heroic inventors” The website www.scientistsandfriends.com promulgates the von Ohain/Wagner myth further It hails von Ohain and Wagner as “the fathers of the jet engine” and notes that Whittle “also worked on the gas turbine engine” as though he was an insignificant also-ran rather than the spark who not only ignited turbojet development but also successfully proposed centrifugal compressors (German industry favoured axial compressors.)  Giffard sees the true hero of the genesis of the jet engine in Britain as the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) forgetting that it was the formation of Whittle’s company Power Jets that galvanised the RAE into aero gas-turbine research senior RAE scientist Dr Arnold Griffith discounted Whittle’s engine He advised the Air Ministry that the idea was not worth further attention The RAE did not conclude the advisability of developing a turbojet until 1939 Had Whittle’s concept received full UK government backing then the Second World War might have been shortened Some claim that suitable high-temperature alloys for turbines were unavailable Yet Whittle forecast that they would be developed – he even proposed turbine blade cooling Giffard’s conclusion reads: “The work of the RAE should get a more prominent role in the history of the turbojet than it has while the work of Power Jets and EHFW (Heinkel) should be less prominent Despite the visibility of Whittle and von Ohain in the literature as inventors of the turbojet their work failed to have lasting consequences it was the work of a relatively anonymous group at a government research establishment inspired by a relatively unknown scientist (Griffith) that proved most influential in shaping the future of the turbojet.” Really?  Although Giffard’s discourse offers useful guidance her text contains so many gross errors of fact – not to mention missing facts – that it renders itself irrelevant as a tool for historical research The enthusiasm for the thesis has arisen from those who have reviewed it from a standpoint of ignorance.  Giffard says: “When the Second World War broke out one company in Britain and five in Germany were seriously designing jet engines.” Yet the text points to only four: BMW A table shows that by 1945 Rolls-Royce and de Havilland had built 745 jet engines – one-ninth of the combined output of BMW and Junkers Allis-Chalmers and General Electric had built 296 The British introduced the Americans to a practical form of jet propulsion in 1941 so they could not accumulate as many engines by the end of the war Their engines were based on the British design Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. 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Flexible spaces at our head office in Westminster, London ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURE, GENERALBelgian baroness Myriam Ullens de Schooten killed by stepson5 April 2023 Belgian baroness Myriam Ullens de Schooten was killed outside her home in Lasne-Ohain on 29 March The 70-year-old died at the scene after being allegedly shot by her stepson Nicolas Ullens The incident occurred after a family altercation about inheritance Ullens was born in Germany but moved to Belgium at the age of five including the creation of food services and fashion labels and championing the construction of orphanages in Nepal founding the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Bejing in 2007 (later renamed UCCA Center for Contemporary Art) The Baron was with Ullens when she was shot He has since taken legal action against his son and hired Nathalie Buisseret Buisseret said of their initial meeting: “I talked to him for a long time I filed a civil suit against his son in Nivelles in his name.” Nicolas Ullens appeared in court in the Walloon Brabant council chamber Lawyers Philippe Mayence and Dimitri de Beco said: "We don't want to do the trial through the media in such a sensitive case with nuanced family dynamics." #FlandersNewsService © AFP PHOTO/TEH ENG KOON Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu