By Suzie Ziegler
NASH COUNTY, N.C. — Dashcam video from a North Carolina state trooper shows just how close a deputy came to disaster. The video shows a Tesla sideswipe a parked patrol car, which pushes the cruiser into a pair of cops. The Tesla appears to clip a state trooper, who pushes a deputy out of harm’s way
Police said the Tesla was operating on its Autopilot feature while the driver watched a movie, according to WITN.
The driver, identified as Devainder Goli, was arrested and charged with a move-over violation and “viewing a television device while driving,” according to the report.
“Luckily, the state trooper pushed our deputy out of the way when he heard the tires squeal, and in an instant, we could have lost a life or several lives,” Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone told WITN. “It could have been very horrific.”
This isn’t the first time that Telsa’s Autopilot has run into trouble. In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a federal probe into the company. The probe is investigating at least 11 crashes involving Autopilot and emergency vehicles, reported NBC San Diego.
Tesla has said that Autopilot still “requires active driver supervision” and does “not make the vehicle autonomous,” according to Newsweek.
It’s unclear if either law enforcement officer suffered any injuries.