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Tesla is facing renewed scrutiny over the safety of its “Autopilot” technology after CCTV broke the news of a fatal crash in China that may have occurred while the automated driver-assist system was operating.



The crash took place on Jan. 20 and killed 23-year-old Gao Yaning, whose Tesla Model S hit a road sweeper on a highway near Handan of Hebei Province, according to a report by CCTV’s Chinese channel on Wednesday.



His father, Gao Jubin, filed a lawsuit in July against the Chinese dealer who sold the Tesla, alleging that his son was using the Autopilot feature at the time of the crash. The suit cites video footage, taken from inside the car and aired by CCTV, suggesting that neither Gao junior nor the Autopilot hit the brakes immediately prior to the collision with the road sweeper. Gao Jubin is demanding compensation of 10,000 yuan, in an action he said he hoped would secure an apology from Tesla and raise awareness about safety issues with Autopilot.



Tesla said on Wednesday in an email statement that it had not been able to determine whether Autopilot was active at the time of the Handan crash.



So far, the only confirmed death involving a Tesla with Autopilot turned on came in Florida in May. The crash killed Joshua Brown, 40, whose Model S was traveling at 120 kilometers per hour when it collided with a tractor-trailer that had turned left and was crossing a highway near Williston.

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