A 67-year-old man from Hawaii, Jia Lin Zheng, is facing serious charges after a deadly crash in San Francisco on January 19. Zheng, driving a Tesla Model Y, claimed the car accelerated on its own, leading to the tragic incident. The crash occurred as Zheng sped off the Interstate 280 off-ramp, sideswiping three cars and running red lights at nearly 90 miles per hour, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
At the intersection of 6th and Harrison streets, Zheng collided with a Lexus, which then hit a vehicle carrying Mikhael Romanenko, his girlfriend, and her dog. Romanenko died almost instantly, and the dog was also killed. Seven people were injured in the crash involving six vehicles. Zheng, who was also injured, told police the Tesla malfunctioned, causing it to speed up on its own. He was initially arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter but released while prosecutors investigated.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced charges of felony vehicular manslaughter, felony reckless driving, and three misdemeanor hit-and-run charges against Zheng. Jenkins stated that extensive resources were needed to investigate the crash, including vehicle inspections and witness interviews, to determine responsibility. Zheng was booked into San Francisco County Jail on September 21 and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
Zheng’s driving history includes multiple speeding citations in Hawaii. The incident has raised questions about Tesla’s sudden unintended acceleration, a claim made by several Tesla drivers over the years. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found no evidence of a design flaw in Tesla vehicles after reviewing nearly 250 claims. The case continues to draw attention to the potential implications for Tesla and drivers involved in similar incidents.
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