Video shows the vehicle appearing to ignore a highway curve in Houston before crashing into a concrete barrier in August 2025. (Hilliard Law)
A Houston woman sued Tesla last month after she says her Cybertruck, allegedly operating in self-driving mode, was caught on camera nearly sending her and her child off a bridge before ultimately crashing into an overpass barrier.
The woman, who claims she suffered multiple injuries during the August 2025 incident, is suing Tesla for $1 million in a liability and negligence case, the lawsuit said.
“Something terrifying happened. Without warning the vehicle tried to drive straight off an overpass.”
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In the dashcam video of the incident, driver Justine Saint Amour was in a Cybertruck that was expected to negotiate a right turn of a Y-shaped overpass.
The car then appeared to barely be able to turn and continue straight before violently crashing into a concrete barrier on the viaduct. As it ricocheted from the impact, we saw parts of the vehicle fly away.
Amour’s lawyer added that just before the crash she had turned off the driver assistance function and tried to take over the wheel. However, the vehicle was already moving too far for any intervention to be effective, the law firm indicated.
“She tried to take control but crashed into the barrier and was seriously injured (mainly her shoulder, neck and back),” Hilliard said.
Saint Amour suffered serious injuries to her right shoulder, neck and back, including two hernias in her lower back and one in her neck, the Austin American-Statesman reportedciting Hilliard Law. Saint Amour also sprained the tendons in her wrist and suffered nerve damage to her right hand, which can cause numbness, a burning sensation and general weakness, the lawsuit said.
Local sales point Khou 11 added that her 1-year-old child was also in the backseat during the incident but was unharmed.
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The lawsuit alleged that Tesla misrepresented the capabilities of its driver assistance system and was negligent in the design of its “Autopilot” feature. It also alleged that the company had failed to build in safety mechanisms such as more effective emergency braking systems or liDAR, a sensing technology that measures distances.
“Tesla’s self-driving technology relies solely on cheap video cameras, without LiDar,” Hilliard said. “The vehicle also lacks a proper driver warning system to ensure drivers are ready to take over driving.”
Hilliard Law posted a statement on social media last Wednesday, saying, “Tesla could have prevented all of this by not letting things slide.”
“Tesla’s decisions made Justine’s accident inevitable,” Hilliard added. “This company wants drivers to believe their lives and rely on a lie: that the vehicle can drive itself and that it can do so safely. It can’t, and it won’t.”
The lawsuit, filed in Harris County District Court, comes after Tesla was recently forced to comply with California regulations over false advertising claims regarding its “Autopilot” feature.
The case, filed by the California DMV in 2022, alleged that Tesla misleadingly marketed its advanced driver assistance systems as autonomous driving technology under the names “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving.”
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While the automaker attempted to challenge the ruling, it ultimately changed the name “Navigate on Autopilot” to “Navigate on Autosteer,” among other rebranding changes.
Tesla’s move is part of a high-stakes effort to protect its business while aggressively expanding its fleet of Robotaxi services, including the recent launch of the Cybercab – a fully autonomous vehicle designed without a steering wheel, pedals or physical controls.
