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Tesla on autopilot crashes into Wash. deputy’s patrol car

The driver of the Tesla said he assumed the car would move over on its own

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The deputy had just exited his vehicle to speak with firefighters on scene.

Photo/Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office

By Sarah Calams

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — A deputy’s patrol car was damaged after a Tesla on autopilot crashed into it Saturday.

KOMONews.com reported that there were no injuries from the collision, but there was “significant damage” to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office vehicle. The deputy was responding to a crashed vehicle and was parked on the shoulder with emergency lights flashing.

The deputy had just exited his vehicle to speak with firefighters on scene. Thirty seconds later, the Tesla struck the patrol car.

The driver of the Tesla said he assumed the car would move over on its own, according to police.

“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 in a statement on Facebook.

The driver was issued a ticket.

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