Self-Driving Tesla Slams Police Car In Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A Tesla in self-driving mode crashed into a parked patrol vehicle responding to a fatal crash in Orange County Thursday morning, police said.

The officer was on traffic control duty blocking Orangethorpe Avenue in the City of Fullerton for an investigation into a suspected DUI crash that left a motorcyclist dead in the same area, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

According to KTLA, the officer was standing outside his vehicle around midnight when he saw a Tesla driving in his direction and not slowing down.

The officer jumped out of the way as the Tesla slammed his police car, spinning the patrol vehicle around and causing major damage to its front end. The officer was not injured or identified.

Fullerton police told KTLA that the Tesla was in self-drive mode and the driver admitted to being on a cellphone at the time of the crash.

No further information was immediately available.