Woman charged with DUI in self-driving car crash that killed 2 on I-95

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A woman whose car was in self-driving mode when she hit and killed two men on I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia earlier this year is now facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence.

Around 3:20 a.m. on March 3, Pennsylvania State Police said a red Toyota Prius was disabled on the left shoulder of I-95 near Aramingo Avenue. The driver of a gray Hyundai Elantra pulled over behind it to help.

Both men were standing outside of their cars when a Ford Mustang Mach-E slammed into the back of the Elantra, killing both men.

Pennsylvania State Police said the driver of the Mach-E, Dimple Patel, was driving under the influence. Investigators said that she had put the SUV in BlueCruise hands-free driving mode and engaged Adaptive Cruise Control, and the vehicle was traveling at more than 70 miles per hour.

The crash is part of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into Ford’s BlueCruise system.

Charges were filed last week against Patel, who turned herself in Tuesday morning at police headquarters. She is facing several driving-related charges as well as involuntary manslaughter.