Autopilot Tesla Crashes Into Cop Car: Repeat Of April '17 Crash

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Canyon Road was shut down Tuesday when a Tesla sedan on autopilot slammed into a parked Laguna Beach police vehicle, a police department spokesperson said. This was the second autopilot Tesla crash on that same section of road, according to LBPD Sgt. Jim Cota.

No one was injured in the collision, which occurred just after 11 a.m. on the 20600 block of Laguna Canyon Road near the city's homeless shelter, according to authorities.

"Thank God the officer wasn't inside the parked vehicle," Cota said. The man behind the wheel of the Tesla, which was totaled, was uninjured in the crash, according to Cota.

Though it was not immediately clear why the Tesla veered into the police car this was not the first Tesla autopilot crash on that stretch of road, Patch has learned.

In April of 2017, another autopilot Tesla crashed at the same location--with almost identical circumstances, Cota told Patch.

"The difference was that the male driver ran into a semi-truck," he said.

According to a Tesla spokesperson, the autopilot feature of the vehicle does not make the car "impervious to all accidents," something the company has "always been clear" about.

"When using Autopilot, drivers are continuously reminded of their responsibility to keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of the vehicle at all times," they said.

Before a driver can use Autopilot, they must accept a dialogue box which states that ‘Autopilot is designed for use on highways that have a center divider and clear lane markings,' according to the automotive company.

Photos, courtesy Laguna Beach Police Department