Huawei Hongmeng-powered Wenjie M9 crash kills one, raises autopilot concerns
A Wenjie M9 vehicle using autonomous driving collided with a heavy truck in China on October 9, 2024, killing one passenger and injuring two others, prompting the surviving occupant to warn others about the vehicle's autopilot feature.
What happened
On October 9, 2024, a Wenjie M9 vehicle operated by a vice chairman of the Hubei Jiangxi Chamber of Commerce, his brother, and his brother's wife collided with a heavy truck while the vehicle's autonomous driving feature was reportedly in use.
The vice chairman and his sister-in-law survived with injuries; his brother died from his injuries. The vehicle was taken to Wuhan Jiangxia District People's Hospital at 4:59 p.m. that day.
Reported impact
One passenger died and two others were injured in the collision.
In a message to chamber staff, the surviving vice chairman reportedly warned other Wenjie M9 owners to be cautious when using the vehicle's autonomous driving feature.
Index analysis
Sairesmart Technology, which manufactures the Wenjie M9, stated it would cooperate with police accident investigation and that the vehicle had exited autonomous driving mode before the collision. The company said the vehicle's braking, steering, and acceleration functions operated normally.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.