BMW Confirms Fatal Crash, Denies Car Was Autonomous

A fatal crash involving four vehicles on a German highway did not involve a self-driving car, BMW claimed today, denying a police statement that had questioned whether the driver had been actively steering the vehicle at the time.

Near the south-western town of Roemerstein yesterday, an electric BMW iX strayed onto the opposing lane of the B28 federal road, colliding with two other cars and indirectly causing another collision, according to police.

Nine individuals, including the 43-year-old driver of the BMW and his 18-month-old passenger, suffered serious injuries in addition to the 33-year-old woman who was dead.

(Image credit: 7aktuell.de)

The incident's cause, which police say involves an autonomous test vehicle, is being investigated by traffic police.

BMW acknowledged that one of its models was involved in the collision but claimed that the vehicle involved lacked self-driving technology.

The car has Level 2 driving assistance technologies, so "the driver always remains accountable," according to a spokesman's email statement.

(Image credit: 7aktuell.de)

According to the BMW website, such systems can accelerate, brake automatically, and, unlike Level 1 systems, take over steering.

The automaker claimed it was in close contact with the law enforcement to determine the precise facts surrounding the incident.