A Tesla in “self-driving” mode slammed into an unoccupied police car during the early morning hours of Thursday, according to the Fullerton Police Department. No one was injured in the crash, but bodycam footage shows a police officer sprinting out of the way to avoid getting hit.
The officer in the footage was managing traffic in Fullerton at the intersection of W. Orangethorpe Ave. and Courtney Ave. after a deadly traffic accident involving a motorcyclist, according to a statement posted to Instagram by the Fullerton PD.
“The police vehicle had its emergency lights on and several flares were placed on the road when a blue Tesla crashed into the police vehicle, which was blocking traffic,” the statement reads.
“Thanks to the quick reaction of the police officer, who spotted the oncoming vehicle and swiftly moved to the side of the road, along with the off-duty police dispatcher who was riding with him, a potential disaster was averted,” the statement continued.
The person behind the wheel of the Tesla has not been named, but police say he admitted to being on his cellphone during the crash, according to KTLA. The local TV news station aired footage of the aftermath, showing the wrecked Tesla and the police vehicle.
The name of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature was recently changed to Full Self-Driving (Supervised), in an attempt to make it clear that drivers should not rely on the technology to keep them safe from crashes. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk has certainly been sending mixed messages on that front, including just yesterday at the Tesla shareholder’s meeting in Austin, Texas, where the billionaire touted just how safe FSD is supposed to be.
Tesla did not respond to an email for comment about the accident. Tesla has previously defended itself from allegations that FSD isn’t safe by pointing to disclaimers that state drivers should always be paying attention to the road.
“This incident underscores the importance of alertness and responsible driving,” Fullerton PD wrote, “Even in situations where the road is blocked and emergency lights are on.”
Image: YouTube/Tesla