Fatal Crash Involving 2024 Tesla Model Y in Manhattan, Musk Says Autopilot Not to Blame

According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), at approximately 2:43–2:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, a gray 2024 Tesla Model Y lost control while traveling eastbound on East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. The vehicle struck a temporary sidewalk canopy outside 315 Madison Avenue, a bus stop shelter on East 42nd Street, and scaffolding, then continued driving for several blocks before coming to a stop near Second Avenue. Both occupants—27-year-old women—were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Passenger Elise Suomi died despite resuscitation efforts; driver Alejandra Paharsingh was reported in stable condition. Neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt. The driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) tested at 0.229%, well above the legal limit of 0.08%. She admitted to having consumed alcohol prior to the crash and stated she had little memory of the driving incident. Authorities charged her with vehicular manslaughter, impaired driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. The NYPD did not attribute the crash to Autopilot or Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability in its public statement and has not disclosed the specific cause of the vehicle’s loss of control. On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk disputed ABC News’ reporting of the incident on X, asserting that the crash had nothing to do with the vehicle or its Autopilot system, adding, “If Autopilot had been engaged, they wouldn’t have crashed.” ABC News subsequently deleted its original post. In June 2026, a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model 3 occurred in Katy, Texas, when the vehicle struck a residential home, killing a 76-year-old woman. Multiple national U.S. media outlets, citing the driver’s statement to police, reported that the car was in “self-driving” mode at the time. Ashok Elluswamy, head of AI at Tesla, stated the accelerator pedal was fully depressed, and the vehicle was traveling at 73 mph (approximately 117.5 km/h). The Harris County District Attorney confirmed that the driver had overridden the vehicle’s controls. Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cited this incident as an example when criticizing media outlets for naming Tesla in crash headlines. In 2024, a fatal drunk-driving crash involving a Tesla Model 3 occurred in Colorado. Musk clarified at the time that the vehicle did not have the FSD package installed, though a passenger claimed the car had been using “autopilot functionality.”