Teslas ‘crash with Autopilot engaged’ in California and Greece
The California police SUV ended up with its two passenger-side wheels on a pavement, while the accident in Greece reportedly came after the Autopilot mode malfunctioned
A Tesla saloon in Autopilot mode has crashed into a parked police car in Southern California, authorities have said.
Police Sgt. Jim Cota said the officer was not in the vehicle during the crash Tuesday in Laguna Beach. He said the Tesla driver suffered minor injuries. The police SUV ended up with its two passenger-side wheels on a pavement.
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And on Friday an American man announced on Twitter that he had crashed his Tesla Model 3 in in Greece reportedly after his Autopilot mode malfunctioned, posting up a photo of what appeared to be the front of his car with one wheel ripped out.
“@elonmusk, this is what happened when my Autopilot malfunctioned,” driver You You Xue tweeted. “Glad I’m not dead, would you please investigate?”
A Greek police official said on Tuesday that no other vehicle was involved in the Friday-night accident in northern Greece and no one was injured.
The official said driver Xue, an American touring Europe, did not break any driving laws and passed a Breathalyzer test administered on the spot.
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The accident happened on a highway outside the northern town of Florina. The local police official requested anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.
Xue said in a social media posting that the car swerved suddenly off course at a fork while in autopilot mode.
Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode has come under scrutiny following other recent crashes. The carmaker said the function is not designed to avoid a collision and warns drivers not to rely on it entirely.
