WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A Tesla in autopilot slammed into the patrol car of a Washington state deputy over the weekend, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said.
A photo from the sheriff’s office shows the heavily damaged SUV missing a front left wheel and mirror.
Despite the patrol car’s mangled front end, both the deputy and Tesla driver managed to escape injury, according to Courtney O’Keefe, sheriff’s spokesperson.
The accident happened Saturday as the deputy was responding to the scene of a car that had crashed into a power pole, slicing it in half.
The deputy had pulled to the side of the road with lights flashing and got out to speak with first responders, when, 30 seconds later, the electric vehicle slammed into the patrol car, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“This is a great reminder that vehicles may have autopilot to assist, but it cannot be relied upon to get you safely from one destination to the next,” the sheriff’s office said.
Washington State Patrol, which is in charge of the crash investigation, said they couldn’t comment on the crash pending an update later Monday evening.
