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Bollywood star gets 5-year sentence for hit and run, after 13-year trial

It took nearly 13 years for popular Bollywood actor Salman Khan (pictured right in above photo) to be sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly hitting five people with his SUV, one of whom was killed. On May 6, the movie star was found guilty of culpable homicide, rash and negligent driving, and being intoxicated at the time, according to Time. The tragic incident that began the legal odyssey occurred in September 2002 when the Toyota Land Cruiser that Khan was in struck five people on a sidewalk in Mumbai. The actor denied both being drunk and being behind the wheel at the time. However, witnesses disputed those assertions. Khan fought the allegations tooth and nail from the very beginning. According to Time, he even challenged the charge of culpable homicide all the way to the Supreme Court of India, but the case was sent back to lower courts in 2013. In the years since the crash, several witnesses recanted their original statements, but it wasn't enough to sway the verdict. Khan reportedly started crying when he heard his sentence.

Toyota and Lexus show off advanced safety research vehicle [w/video]

While Google and Audi explore the possibilities of autonomous vehicles, Toyota and its Lexus division are studying the intermediate step of vehicles equipped with a deep suite of technology that help drivers make the best decisions. Introduced at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Lexus advanced safety research vehicle is an LS sedan fitted with three high-def color cameras to detect objects up to almost 500 feet away, 360-degree Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) lasers that can detect objects up to 220 feet away, three radar units to keep track of other vehicles at intersections, a precision odometer on the rear wheel, GPS that estimates orientation and an accelerometer.
Currently testing at a purpose-built 8.6 acre urban testing ground at the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Susono, Japan the Toyota research vehicle is being used to study how to make better drivers, as well as figuring out how to reduce crashes as the industry's journey through passive and active safety systems progresses. In the event of a crash, new rescue systems are also being tested.
Further investment is being put into the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that would use shortwave signals to harness information from the car and from other vehicles on the road, as well as roadside infrastructure and even pedestrians. Toyota reasons it could then build a picture of interactions and, for instance, alert the driver to a potential collision at a blind intersection.

What's in a trademark? Sometimes, the next iconic car name

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a treasure trove for auto enthusiasts, especially those who double as conspiracy theorists.
Why has Toyota applied to trademark "Supra," the name of one of its legendary sports cars, even though it hasn't sold one in the United States in 16 years? Why would General Motors continue to register "Chevelle" long after one of the most famous American muscle cars hit the end of the road? And what could Chrysler possibly do with the rights to "313," the area code for Detroit?