A Tesla crashed through the garage of a Redmond, Washington home on Monday morning, causing significant damage, and the driver told police the car’s Autopilot system had malfunctioned, according to KING 5. No one was hurt in the crash. Police are still investigating what happened.
The crash happened around 11 a.m. in the 6300 block of 151st Avenue Northeast, the Redmond Police Department said. Officers were called to a report of a vehicle that had run into a residential garage. They arrived to find that the Tesla had gone through the structure, leaving the home with serious damage.
The driver claimed the car’s Autopilot system had failed and caused the collision, according to police. Investigators found no signs that the driver was impaired. They haven’t said whether anything supports the Autopilot explanation.
Despite the damage to the home, no injuries were reported. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Crashes that drivers blame on Tesla’s driver-assistance features are not new, and federal regulators have spent years examining how the technology performs.
What Officers Found on the Scene
Officers responded to a report of a car that had collided with a home’s garage. When they got there, the Tesla had already gone through the garage. The house was already significantly damaged as well. The driver seemed eager to discuss the Tesla’s Autopilot feature, telling officers the system had malfunctioned just before the crash.
Police confirmed that there had been nothing to suggest the driver was impaired when the incident occurred. They haven’t yet assigned blame or confirmed what role, if any, the car’s software played either. The investigation is still open, in fact, as they look into into whether the Autopilot feature actually caused the crash.
How Tesla’s Autopilot Is Supposed to Work
Autopilot is a feature meant to assist drivers and isn’t a fully self-driving system. It doesn’t mean the car is fully autonomous. In fact, Tesla has stressed to owners that the technology can steer, brake, and keep pace with traffic, but it’s not perfect. Drivers still need to pay attention and keep their hands on the wheel. The company’s own guidance puts the driver in charge, even when Autopilot is switched on. So there shouldn’t be a situation where Autopilot is totally in control at all times.
Over the past decade, Autopilot has been connected to several crashes. There have also been repeated federal investigations into how it handles real-world driving. The Redmond case is far smaller than many of those, since no one was hurt. And while Tesla’s driving assistance features are quite advanced, it’s also not the only company to offer these features.