Self-Driving Tesla Crashes On Rt. 1 In North Brunswick: Police

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A self-driving Tesla was on autopilot when it crashed on Rt. 1 in North Brunswick this past Sunday night, slamming into several road signs. The car then drove onto a yard by the side of the road and came to rest on the grass.

The driver, a 33-year-old Hamilton man, told police the Tesla's autopilot became confused by multiple lane changes and veered to the right. He told police he was sitting in the driver's seat and was powerless to do anything as the steering wheel locked in place.

Nobody was injured in the accident.

"The driver said the car pulled to the right and remained locked to the right," North Brunswick Police Capt. Brian Hoiberg told Patch. "He said he could not regain control of the vehicle. When our officers got to the scene, he was pretty shaken up and was next to the vehicle."

According to the police report, the crash happened Sunday night, Feb. 10 at 6:38 p.m. on Rt. 1 northbound near Adams Lane. The Hamilton Twp. man told police he was driving in the far right lane when the car's autopilot sensor showed a new lane where the white striped markings were in between Rt. 1 north and the exit ramp for Adams Lane. This caused his car to pull to the right into the lane displayed on the autopilot screen.

The driver said that when this happened, the steering wheel locked in place, preventing him from changing the path of the car. He told police his hands were on the steering wheel the entire time.

The Tesla drove off the road and drove into two traffic sign supports. It then continued traveling off the road, crossed over the Adams Lane exit ramp and went over the curb at a property at 1980 Rt. 1, where it came to rest on the grass.

Hoiberg said Tesla contacted the North Brunswick police department and said their stance is the driver is still responsible for the operation of the car, even if the vehicle is in self-driving mode.

The Tesla Model X suffered significant damage, mostly to its undercarriage, and had to be towed from the scene.

"It was pretty badly damaged," said Hoiberg.

Tesla's self-driving cars have gotten into accidents before, the most notable being when a man was killed in California in a self-driving Tesla accident. Tesla maintains on their website: "All Tesla vehicles have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver," and "a driver can override any of autopilot’s features at any time by steering, applying the brakes, or using the cruise control."

Pictured: A Tesla car and logo. Maggie Avants/Patch