This past Saturday, some typical police activity turned chaotic after a Tesla Model 3 slammed into a police cruiser on the side of I-95 in Connecticut.
The scene, which until the crash was simply State Police responding to a disabled vehicle on the freeway, turned wild as the Model 3 first hit the police car, continued on to hit the disabled vehicle and finally came to a stop with some assistance from a second state trooper.
The driver told police he was checking on his dog in the back seat and had Tesla's Autopilot system engaged. Tesla does not advertise Autopilot as a completely self-driving system, though the name remains controversial, with critics saying it overpromises its abilities. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this incident.
No one was seriously injured in the crash, including the dog, according to the police statement on Facebook. The Connecticut State Police took the time, however, to remind drivers there are no self-driving cars on sale today.
"According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, although a number of vehicles have some automated capabilities, there are no vehicles currently for sale that are fully automated or self-driving," the statement reads. "Regardless of your vehicle's capabilities, when operating a vehicle your full attention is required at all times to ensure safe driving."
The crash continues to highlight the controversies that automated systems bring in their marketing and capabilities, though Tesla's Autopilot continues to be the most high-profile. Two other crashes, one in California and another in Florida, have previously drawn widespread attention to the system.