BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A federal judge has cleared Elon Musk's SpaceX in regard to a lawsuit filed by the family of a man who died on the road in July 2020, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Musk's company was sued by the family of Carlos Venegas after he died while driving his family home from a trip overnight back in July 2020. According to the report, Venegas crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer trying to turn onto a one-lane access road for SpaceX from an unlighted highway.
The trailer was idling on the highway and was partially blocking the road, per the report. Venegas' wife and three kids were also injured when the car hit the trailer.
The family's lawyer claimed negligence on behalf of SpaceX led to the accident and the company countered that it wasn't at fault for the crash since it happened off company property and because no SpaceX vehicles or employees were involved.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. dismissed the lawsuit based on the recommendation of U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan. Morgan cited Texas legal precedent that protects property owners from claims from accidents that happen on nearby roads, per the report.
Read the full report by Bloomberg here.
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