Comma.ai, a tech startup founded by well-known hacker George Hotz, is under a federal probe following reports of five crashes involving its aftermarket driver assistance technology. Two of these incidents resulted in three deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has stated that the crashes involved Comma.ai’s devices failing to detect or respond to vehicles that were stopped or moving slowly in the same lane. Across four of the incidents, as many as 11 people were injured, with some suffering serious injuries. Some of the crashes, including at least one of the fatal incidents, may have involved modified or "forked" versions of Comma.ai’s software, according to the ODI. The company could not be reached for comment, and Hotz, who stepped back from daily operations in 2022, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Comma.ai was founded in 2015 and produces devices that can be installed in modern vehicles. These devices, along with the company’s software called "openpilot," are designed to control a car’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Automated Lane Centering (ALC) systems, performing functions similar to Tesla’s Autopilot and General Motors’ Super Cruise. The company's goal is to "make driving chill," according to its website. It claims that "openpilot can steer, accelerate, and brake automatically for other vehicles within its lane." However, like Tesla and GM, Comma.ai warns drivers that they must always be ready to take manual control of the vehicle by stepping on a pedal or pressing a cancel button. The device also uses a camera-based system to monitor drivers for signs of distraction or drowsiness. One of the two fatal crashes appears to have occurred in February 2026 in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. A 2022 Toyota RAV4 equipped with FrogPilot, a third-party modified version of Comma.ai’s openpilot software, collided with a stopped first responder vehicle. Details of the crash were released by Louisiana State Police and appear to match the report in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s database. According to the agency’s description of the incident, two rear-seat passengers in the Toyota died. The investigation into Comma.ai’s technology is ongoing, and more details are expected as the probe develops. The use of aftermarket driver assistance systems has become increasingly common, but questions about their safety and reliability continue to arise, especially when they are modified or used outside of the original manufacturer's specifications.