TESLA TERRORS
Tesla autopilot appears to veer electric vehicle onto train track it mistook for road
Local police urged drivers to remain ‘vigilant while using Tesla's autopilot feature,’ noting that it ‘can fail’
James Liddell
THE INDEPENDENT UK
Woodland Police Department shared the image of the Tesla on the train tracks on Wednesday (Woodland Police Department)
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A California Tesla driver found themselves in the middle of an active train track after the EV’s autopilot mode allegedly mistook it for a road, leading to police issuing a “serious” safety alert.
Local police noted the apparent mishap occurred in Woodland, just northwest of Sacramento. Authorities shared a picture of the Tesla positioned in the middle of the tracks on Facebook – which would be directly in the path of an oncoming train.
The photo has received hundreds of likes, comments and shares from concerned Californians.
“This morning, there was an incident where Autopilot mistook train tracks for a road, posing a serious danger,” Woodland Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
The identity of the driver remains undisclosed and it’s not clear whether the vehicle was damaged after driving on the railway line. No injuries were reported at the scene.
A traffic investigation is pending, with police yet to verify the accuracy of statements provided from the driver.
Authorities reminded drivers to stay “vigilant while using Tesla’s Autopilot feature,” adding that it “can fail” it said in the statement.
Tesla contests that its autopilot function in its new vehicles “enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel,” as per the company’s website.
Its autopilot functionality includes ‘traffic-aware cruise control’, which matches your cruising speed to that of the surrounding traffic, and ‘autosteer’ that assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, according to the site.
It marks the second incident in two months involving a Tesla’s near miss-with a train while utilising its driver assistance system.
Craig Doty II narrowly avoided crashing his EV into a freight train after placing it in full self-driving mode in Ohio on May 8. A harrowing video shows the Tesla hurtling down a foggy road towards the railway line.
A self-driving Tesla in Camden, Ohio, narrowly avoided colliding with a train, after the vehicle did not register it (Craig Doty/ NBC News)
The vehicle fails to slow down and swerves at the last minute, missing the oncoming train and smashing into a safety barrier.
Doty noted that he may have become complacent with the technology.
“You do get complacent that [the technology] knows what it’s doing. And usually it’s more cautious than I would be as a driver,” he told NBC.
The Independent has contacted both Tesla and Woodland Police Department concerning Wednesday’s incident.
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
A California Tesla driver found themselves in the middle of an active train track after the EV’s autopilot mode allegedly mistook it for a road, leading to police issuing a “serious” safety alert.
Local police noted the apparent mishap occurred in Woodland, just northwest of Sacramento. Authorities shared a picture of the Tesla positioned in the middle of the tracks on Facebook – which would be directly in the path of an oncoming train.
The photo has received hundreds of likes, comments and shares from concerned Californians.
“This morning, there was an incident where Autopilot mistook train tracks for a road, posing a serious danger,” Woodland Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
The identity of the driver remains undisclosed and it’s not clear whether the vehicle was damaged after driving on the railway line. No injuries were reported at the scene.
A traffic investigation is pending, with police yet to verify the accuracy of statements provided from the driver.
Authorities reminded drivers to stay “vigilant while using Tesla’s Autopilot feature,” adding that it “can fail” it said in the statement.
Tesla contests that its autopilot function in its new vehicles “enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel,” as per the company’s website.
Its autopilot functionality includes ‘traffic-aware cruise control’, which matches your cruising speed to that of the surrounding traffic, and ‘autosteer’ that assists in steering within a clearly marked lane, according to the site.
It marks the second incident in two months involving a Tesla’s near miss-with a train while utilising its driver assistance system.
Craig Doty II narrowly avoided crashing his EV into a freight train after placing it in full self-driving mode in Ohio on May 8. A harrowing video shows the Tesla hurtling down a foggy road towards the railway line.
A self-driving Tesla in Camden, Ohio, narrowly avoided colliding with a train, after the vehicle did not register it (Craig Doty/ NBC News)The vehicle fails to slow down and swerves at the last minute, missing the oncoming train and smashing into a safety barrier.
Doty noted that he may have become complacent with the technology.
“You do get complacent that [the technology] knows what it’s doing. And usually it’s more cautious than I would be as a driver,” he told NBC.
The Independent has contacted both Tesla and Woodland Police Department concerning Wednesday’s incident.
ANDREW CHAPADOS
JUNE 28, 2024
The wide receiver said he didn't know how much 'if anything' would be salvageable.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Randall Cobb posted images of his home online showing the aftermath of a fire caused by a Tesla charger in his garage that caught on fire.
The blaze happened at the 33-year-old's Nashville, Tennessee, home where he lives with his wife and three children. Wife, Aiyda Cobb, was the first to make comments about the incident online: "We are lucky to be alive. The telsa charger caught on fire in the garage late last night and quickly spread," she reportedly said in an Instagram story.
"We got out of the house with nothing but the clothes on our back and no shoes on our feet," a screenshot of her post showed.
'I can't get the image of the brave firefighter getting into position out of my head.'
Cobb himself posted a message the next day thanking firefighters and the community for their actions.
"Thank you for all the love and positive messages," Cobb said in a joint Instagram post with his wife. "First and foremost, we are all safe and healthy. We got out of the house and I was able to get back in and get our dog, Louie. We can't thank Chief Caruthers, Captain Irvin and the Nashville Fire Department enough for their swift action."
Cobb seemed particularly affected by the thought of the firefighters risking their lives to save his possessions.
"I can't get the image of the brave firefighter getting into position out of my head; he didn't even have water to shoot yet. I truly thought the cars were going to explode and that we would lose him in this tragedy. He is a true hero," Cobb continued.
"Unfortunately we don't know how much, if anything, will be salvageable, but this has been a reminder that nothing is more important than the health of our family."
The athlete finished by thanking the community of Nashville and the support his family has received from close friends who have provided a "temporary roof" over the family's heads.
After that, Cobb showed a video of the ash-covered interior of his garage, which included the Tesla. The walls were black from smoke and fire damage. Another video showed a damaged Mercedes SUV as the football player continued to examine the wreckage with a fire official.
The Nashville Fire Department confirmed to CNN that the fire was caused by an electric vehicle in the garage. The department clarified that the fire was contained to the garage, but "heavy smoke damage" happened in different parts of the home.
"There were no injuries reported to civilians or [fire] personnel," the department reportedly said. "The investigation is ongoing and some details are unavailable, as part of the investigation."
The news comes after a recent three-year study revealed that almost half of EV owners in the United States said they are very likely to switch back to gas-powered cars. At 49%, only Australians had a stronger response in terms of switching back to gasoline, with American consumers saying the same at a rate of 46%.
Cobb is currently a free agent in the NFL after spending the 2023-24 season with the New York Jets. He's been in the NFL since 2011.
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