Tesla driver slept while car was going 80 mph on interstate, Wisconsin police say

A driver in Wisconsin has been cited after police say he was asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla as it barreled down the interstate Sunday.

Just before 8 a.m., the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a Tesla driver who appeared to be asleep at the wheel.

A deputy located the 2019 Tesla on I-94 and pulled up alongside it to get a better look at the driver, the agency said in a news release.

The deputy said the driver’s head was down and that it seemed like he wasn’t looking at the road.

The deputy turned on his lights and siren to try to pull over the car, but it kept cruising down the road for roughly 2 miles reaching speeds of more than 80 mph, police said.

The driver ultimately pulled over.

Dashcam video of the incident obtained by Fox6 shows the deputy’s vehicle approaching the side of the Tesla, sirens blaring, before the Tesla changes lanes then pulls to the side of the interstate.

A deputy tells the 38-year-old driver from Illinois that he’d been following him for 2 miles.

“You were sleeping. You were totally like this in the car,” the deputy says, dropping his head to his shoulder. “Why would we drive like that?”

The driver then says he wasn’t asleep but instead “a little bit tired,” the video shows.

“Your eyes were closed,” the deputy says. “I understand you have Autopilot, but if something were to happen, you’re not able to make that conscious decision to stop in a hurry.”

Tesla describes its Autopilot feature as an “advanced driver assistance system” meant for “a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.”

The man was cited for inattentive driving.

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