Driver arrested after Clackamas County Tesla crash
After a Tesla parking lot crash in a Portland suburb, Oregon State Police troopers are warning owners of vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems not to get behind the wheel if they’re impaired.
“DUII is a DUII even if you think your Tesla can drive you home,” an OSP Facebook post states, followed by a face palm emoji.
A woman driving a Tesla Model X was allegedly impaired when she tried — and failed — to initiate her SUV’s Autopilot feature to take her home over the weekend in Milwaukie.
Instead, her gull-winged electric SUV collided into the side of a parked Mercedes-Benz M-class SUV and hopped a parking lot curb before the EV landed three-quarters of the way into a grassy area.
No one was injured in the crash, but OSP states that the driver showed signs of impairment and was taken to the Clackamas County Jail on a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
The Society of Automotive Engineers classifies Tesla’s Autopilot feature as “Level 2” automated system in a scale that ranges from zero to five. The system can take full control of so-equipped Teslas, but any system Level 2 or lower needs the driver to be supervising the car’s self-driving constantly.