Tesla Sedan In Autopilot Mode Hits Laguna Beach Police SUV
LAGUNA BEACH (CBSLA) — A Tesla driver suffered only minor injuries Tuesday after her sedan crashed into a parked Laguna Beach police car while in autopilot mode, officials said.
The Tesla sedan was driving southbound on Laguna Canyon Road when it collided with a Laguna Beach Police Department SUV this morning, according to Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jim Cota.
The police SUV ended up with its two passenger-side wheels on a sidewalk.
According to Cota, the officer was not inside the SUV at the time of the crash. An unidentified woman reportedly driving the Tesla was treated for minor injuries.
In March, a driver was killed when a Model X with the autopilot mode engaged hit a barrier while traveling at "freeway speed" in California. NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating that case.
This week, Palo Alto-based Tesla said Autopilot was not engaged when a Model S veered off a road and plunged into a pond outside San Francisco, killing the driver.
Earlier in May, the NTSB opened a probe into an accident in which a Model S caught fire after crashing into a wall at a high speed in Florida. Two 18-year-olds were trapped and died in the blaze. The agency has said it does not expect Autopilot to be a focus in that investigation.
Tesla has said the function is not designed to avoid a collision and warns drivers not to rely on it entirely.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
