A Tesla Model 3 driving on 'autopilot' smacked into a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser on Saturday morning, narrowly missing the driver of the cruiser who had stopped in order to help a disabled vehicle.
The incident is the 12th such smash involving a Tesla on autopilot mode and an emergency vehicle in the US since January 2018. All the cars which have been struck had their lights flashing, or had deployed an emergency flare, illuminated warning sign or cones, raising questions about whether they may have confused the Tesla's sensors.
Saturday's smash happened after when the 28-year-old trooper, who has not been named, stopped shortly after 5 am on August 28 on I-4 near downtown Orlando while responding to a broken down car.
He put his emergency lights and was walking over to a disabled vehicle when the Tesla hit the cruiser's left side, according to a copy of the police report seen by DailyMail.com.
The Tesla also hit the broken down car, a 2012 Mercedes Benz GLK 350, according to the report. All three cars were badly-damaged by the force of impact, although it is unclear how fast the Tesla was traveling when it crashed.
A Tesla Model 3 on 'autopilot' hit a Florida Highway Patrol cruiser on August 28 on 1-4 near downtown Orlando. The trooper had stopped shortly after 5 am to help a disabled vehicle
The 26-year-old unnamed Tesla driver and the 27-year-old driver of the Mercedes suffered from minor injuries, though the trooper was unhurt.
In an email to DailyMail.com, Montes said the crash is still under investigation.
Montes added that the agency's fleet manager will be notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not yet responded to a tweet asking for comment from DailyMail.com.
The electric vehicle maker has disbanded its traditional media relations office.
The trooper had stopped shortly after 5 am to help a disabled vehicle, a 2012 Mercedes Benz GLK 350 (left)
The 26-year-old Tesla driver and the driver of the disabled vehicle had minor injuries, but the trooper was unhurt, a highway patrol spokeswoman said
The autopilot system has eight surround cameras that 'provide 360 degrees of visibility around the car at up to 250 meters of range,' according to Tesla's website.
'Twelve updated ultrasonic sensors complement this vision, allowing for detection of both hard and soft objects at nearly twice the distance of the prior system,' the website added.
Teslas equipped with autopilot have the technical capability to steer themselves on highways, although the firm has warned drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel as normal at all times.
This incident is just the latest in a string of accidents where Tesla's autopilot feature has played a role, prompting a formal investigation from the U.S. government.
Earlier this month, the U.S. government opened a formal investigation into Tesla's Autopilot driving system after it was involved in 11 prior accidents - one deadly - that may be the result of the system's issues spotting parked emergency vehicles.
The NHTSA said the investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, nearly everything Tesla has sold domestically since 2014. Of the 11 crashes that have been identified over the past three years, 17 people were injured and one was killed.
That deadly accident happened in Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana, in December 2019 and saw passenger Jenna Monet, 23, killed after the Tesla being driven by her husband Derrick slammed into the back of a parked firetruck.
The 11 prior crashes have occurred when Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control hit vehicles at scenes where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards.
The NHTSA said the investigation covers the entire product lineup of the Musk-led company, the Models Y, X, S and 3 from the 2014 through 2021 model years.
The assisted driving system has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, some of whom have been caught driving drunk or riding in the rear passenger seat while driving down a California highway.
In April, Musk tweeted Teslas with Autopilot engaged were 'approaching 10 times lower chance of accident than average vehicle.'
Tesla and other manufacturers warn that drivers using the systems must be ready to intervene at all times. Teslas using the system have crashed into semis crossing in front of them, stopped emergency vehicles and a roadway barrier.
The crashes into emergency vehicles cited by NHTSA began on Jan. 22, 2018 in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles.
That saw Tesla using Autopilot struck a parked firetruck that was parked partially in the travel lanes with its lights flashing. Crews were handling another crash at the time.
Since then, the agency said there were crashes in Laguna Beach, California; Norwalk, Connecticut; Cloverdale, Indiana; West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Cochise County, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina, Montgomery County, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; and Miami, Florida.
'The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and enforce the driver's engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation,' NHTSA said in its investigation documents.
An investigation could lead to a recall or other enforcement action by NHTSA.
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