The crash is the latest in a string of accidents involving Tesla vehicles that have sparked investigations by federal safety officials.
DETROIT – A Tesla Model Y operating with Autopilot engaged struck a police car early Wednesday morning in Michigan, according to officials. Autopilot is Tesla’s driver assistance system that comes standard with all of its newer models. The Tesla struck an officer’s blue Dodge Charger sedan as troopers were investigating a crash between a deer and a different vehicle at 1:12 a.m., according to a post by the Michigan State Police on Twitter. The police car was parked and partially obtruding into the right lane of a highway with its emergency lights on, Lt. Brian Oleksyk confirmed in an email to CNBC. The crash is the latest in a string of accidents involving Tesla’s all-electric cars that have drawn criticism from vehicle safety advocates and probes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. This was also the second collision involving a Tesla vehicle in Michigan over the last week. Officials said no injuries were sustained to the officers or the unnamed 22-year-old driver of the Tesla, who was issued citations for failure to move over and driving with a suspended license.
