Drunk driving suspect in Tesla may have slept while autopilot was engaged

PALO ALTO, ca. – The California police arrested a man who was possibly intoxicated and asleep in his Tesla while he was driving at 100 km / h in autopilot mode on the highway.

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On Friday, at approximately 3:30 pm, police from the California Highway Police noticed a Tesla Model S traveling south on Highway 101. They parked near the vehicle at 70 mph and saw the driver, Alexander Samek, apparently sleeping. CHP then used both lighthouses and the sirens tried to wake Samek, but he was "insensitive," according to Art Montiel, California Highway Patrol's public information officer.

Assuming the vehicle was in autopilot mode, the agents finally stopped by gradually slowing down in front of the Tesla, baduming that the driver badistance device would eventually stop the car.

The vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and the agents then tried to wake Samek.

"The officers approached the Tesla and tried to wake Samek by knocking on the window and giving them verbal orders. After Samek woke up and exited the Tesla, he was placed at the back of the patrol car and was removed from the highway to get to Shell Station near Embarcadero. Road to West Bayshore Road, while the other officer drove the Tesla off the highway. "Montiel.

At the gas station, Samek failed a sobriety test on the ground and was arrested for suspicion of DUI.

According to KRON4. the CHP said in a statement that it had not yet confirmed the autopilot commitment:

"We can not confirm for now if the" driver badistance "function has been activated, but considering the vehicle's ability to slow down to a stop when Samek was asleep, it seems that the "driver badistance" function may have been active at the time. "

The California Highway Patrol published the details of the incident on its Facebook page:

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