Major brake-down: Tesla in self-drive mode smashes into police car
A Tesla in self-driving mode crashed into a police car that was parked while the officer responded to a fatal traffic accident in California.
The officer was out of the patrol car on Wednesday evening helping to control traffic in Fullerton, about 30 miles from Los Angeles. Police were investigating a suspected driving under the influence (DUI) incident that left a motorcyclist dead.
Officials say that the officer was standing by his vehicle when he saw the electric car and noticed it was not slowing down. The policeman quickly jumped out of the way of the vehicle as it slammed into his patrol car.
The collision caused the car to spin and significantly damaged its front end. The officer was not injured in the incident.
The driver admitted to being on his cellphone at the time of the crash and the car had been in self-drive mode, according to KTLA.
It’s not known if the police department chose to cite the driver for the car’s inability to stop.
The motorist involved in the initial DUI investigation was arrested on suspicion of DUI and driving without a license. Police did not identify the motorcycle driver but described him as an adult male.