The driver of a Tesla Inc. Model S crashed into an unoccupied, parked police vehicle in Laguna Beach, California, on Tuesday and the driver told investigators the Tesla was in “Autopilot” mode at the time, police said.
The driver suffered minor injuries, Laguna Beach Sergeant Jim Cota said, who posted photos of the crash scene showing extensive damage to the front end of the Tesla and the rear side of the police vehicle.
Autopilot is a semi-autonomous technology that the company says is a form of advanced cruise control.
“Tesla has always been clear that Autopilot doesn’t make the car impervious to all accidents,” the company said in a statement after the accident and could not immediately confirm the driver’s report that the vehicle was in Autopilot mode.
Several crashes and fire incidents involving Tesla vehicles this year has been a near constant challenge for CEO Elon Musk, who boasts that the company’s vehicles are among the safest in the industry.
(images from techspot)
