Civil trial over fatal Tesla crash in Fort Lauderdale resolved during jury selection

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There was an abrupt ending on Monday to a lawsuit involving the families of a deadly, fiery crash that occurred in nearly eight years ago.

Potential jurors were sent home around 1:30 p.m. after the judge in the case said the families had resolved the matter.

The case is related to a crash and a fire that killed Edgar Monserratt Martinez and Barrett Riley, both 18 years old, in May of 2018.

Monserratt Martinez was a front-seat passenger in the 2014 Tesla Model S that Riley was driving at 116 mph in a 30-mph zone in Fort Lauderdale.

Riley crashed the Tesla into a wall along Seabreeze Boulevard.

In 2022, Riley’s parents claimed Tesla designed the defective batteries that were to blame for the fire that followed. That lawsuit was dismissed.

Riley’s parents also claimed Tesla installed a device to prevent travel above 85 mph, and a Tesla technician in Dania Beach removed it without their consent.

Attorneys representing Tesla denied both accusations and focused on Riley’s driving record during that trial.

A jury ruled Riley was most responsible, so Tesla was only liable for $105,000.

In this most recent civil lawsuit, Monserratt Martinez’s family claimed negligence by both Riley and Tesla, and that they were to blame for the tragedy.

Monserratt Martinez and Riley were only about 18 days away from earning their high school diploma from Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale when they died.

The judge and the attorneys in the case declined to disclose any details about the settlement.

All of those negotiations happened behind closed doors and that information was not presented to the jurors before they were dismissed.

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About The Author
Brett Knese

Brett Knese

Brett Knese joined the Local 10 News team as a general assignment reporter in March 2025.