Navindra Kumar Jain, who blamed the cause of his “falling asleep at the wheel” car accident on his Tesla Model S‘ new car smell, has been charged with “misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.” Jain, 63, was driving in Santa Cruz, heading northbound on Highway 1 this past November.
10 days after purchasing his new vehicle, Jain fell asleep behind the wheel, crossing into oncoming traffic at 55 mph, before rising over a slight crescent and onto the shoulder of the road. On that shoulder, the temporarily-unmanned vehicle hit cyclist Joshua Alper, who died on sight. Jain attempted to pass blame on the accident by claiming the potent new-car small in his relatively-new Model S caused him to doze off. In fact, Jain apparently tried to use baking soda prior to the crash to take care of the intense smell.
After a three-month investigation, which began in November, Jain was charged with “misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter”; however, the complete incident is far from being resolved. Jain’s attorney stands firm on the “new car smell” theory and a resolution through multiple courts is a while away. During this time, and to the dismay of bystanders and cyclists, Jain has not been arrested and the current charge stands as a misdemeanor.
A potential black-mark on Tesla’s brand, the manufacturer is taking all the required steps to remove itself from the fire. However, what Tesla cannot avoid is the lawsuit filed against it – the Alper-family is suing both Jain and Tesla, covering all bases. The case on Tesla isn’t solid by any stretch of the imagination, yet we are all aware of the potential consequences.
Sadly, a man’s life was lost. Joshua Alper, no matter who is to blame, is dead. The case and lawsuits, however, live on, in what are sure to be testing times for all parties involved. Motrolix will keep you up to date as more information from the case emerges.
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