A BMW iX vehicle testing in Germany is at the center of an investigation into an accident that killed one and left nine injured in Reutlingen, Germany.
Local police said that the all-electric BMW iX had five people onboard, including one 18-month-old child. It allegedly swerved out of its lane at a bend in the road, hitting two vehicles and causing more crashes as a consequence, according to the Associated Press.
The BMW brushed an oncoming Citroën, then hit a Mercedes-Benz van head-on, which resulted in the death of that van’s 33-year-old passenger. The driver of the Citroën, a 70-year-old woman, lost control of her car and hit another vehicle, which went off the road and burst into flames.
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“The crash vehicle was an autonomous electric test car,” Reutlingen police said. “Whether it was being steered by the 43-year-old (driver) or not is the subject of investigation.”
BMW, however, told the Associated Press that the iX was not testing any autonomous technology. It did confirm that one of its vehicles was involved in the crash, but said that it was only equipped with the same Level 2 driver assistance technology that is installed on the production version of the vehicle. It added that it was marked as a test car for data protection purposes, because it was recording footage.
“We are in the process of investigating the exact circumstances (of the crash),” BMW said. “Of course, we are in close contact with authorities.”
Reutlingen police report that four rescue helicopters were dispatched to the scene and dozens of firefighters responded to the accident. The injured were taken to several hospitals, including the 43-year-old driver of the BMW, its three adult occupants, and the 18-month-old child that was also in the vehicle.
