Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot Hits a Parked Police Car Helping Another Vehicle in Florida

A Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot has hit two cars, including a parked Highway Patrol helping another person driving a Mercedes SUV in Orlando, Florida.

As per CNBC, the 27-year-old driver of the 2019 Model 3 that crashed into two vehicles said that the advanced driver assistance system, or Autopilot of Tesla, was turned on during the accident.

Although there are no fatalities during the crash, authorities are still investigating if the Tesla Autopilot contributed to the unfortunate accident involving a police car and a Mercedes SUV.

It is to note that only the Model 3 driver sustained injuries during the crash. On the other hand, the highway patrol officer was unscratched during the accident.

Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot Hits Two Parked Cars

The Florida Highway Patrol or FHP said in a statement that the incident involved a police car, which is a 2018 Dodge Charger, and a disabled 2012 Mercedes GLK 350.

The parked patrol vehicle was near the Mercedes as the trooper was assisting the broken car.

The Tesla Model 3 suddenly crashed into the left rear wheel of the patrol as the trooper stepped down of his idle vehicle to help a troubled driver.

After which, the Tesla hit the Mercedes SUV that the highway patrol officer was attempting to help.

The FHP told CNBC that their agency has already communicated the incident to Tesla and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

Tesla's Autopilot System

Meanwhile, Gizmodo further noted that the recent crash occurred two weeks after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or shortly known as the NHTSA, started investigating the Tesla Autopilot system.

The inquiry will precisely look into a total of 11 accidents that Tesla cars with Autopilot rammed into idle emergency cars since 2018. The incidents being questioned have already tallied a total of 17 injuries, along with a single fatality.

On Aug. 17, Tesla's stock price steeply fell by 7% in a week, which was attributed to the probe that the NHTSA launched.

To be precise, Electrek noted that the price of the EV giant has already gone down by 5% on the day of the investigation's announcement.

Then on Aug. 17, it fell by another 4%.

What's more, the EV company of Elon Musk has already lost about a whopping $50 billion market capitalization since the NHTSA investigation stormed the headlines.

The NHTSA probe will be looking into various Tesla vehicles that feature autopilot that was produced from 2014 to the present, such as the Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Model Y.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris