Sleeping Tesla Driver From Illinois Was Going 82 MPH: WI Sheriff

PALATINE, IL — A Palatine man was issued a citation for inattentive driving Sunday after a sheriff's deputy reported he appeared to be asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla as it sped into Wisconsin, authorities said.

Around 8 a.m., a Kenosha County sheriff's deputy was dispatched to a report of a sleeping driver headed north on Interstate 94 from Illinois. The deputy found the car, pulled up and noticed the driver's head was down, and he looked to be asleep, according to the sheriff's office.

The deputy reported he turned on his lights and siren, but the driver of the Tesla — or his Autopilot — continued heading north at 82 mph for about 2 miles. After the deputy pulled alongside the car a second time, the driver reportedly recognized the traffic stop and pulled over near the Kenosha-Racine county line.

According to the sheriff's office, the 38-year-old driver denied being asleep while being questioned, although he did tell the deputy he was tired. He did not appear to be impaired, the deputy said.