Leesburg Man Arrested for DUI After Claiming Cybertruck Drove Itself

A man from Leesburg, Florida, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence after telling law enforcement that his Tesla Cybertruck had been driving itself at the time, according to a report from WFTV.

Details of the Arrest

WFTV reported that the driver was taken into custody on DUI charges and offered the explanation that the Cybertruck's self-driving capability was responsible for operating the vehicle at the time he was stopped. The outlet did not provide further specifics about the traffic stop itself, the exact charges filed, or the final disposition of the case.

Tesla's Driver-Assistance Technology

The Cybertruck, Tesla's angular, stainless-steel electric pickup, can be equipped with driver-assistance features such as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Tesla describes these systems as requiring an attentive driver who is prepared to take control of the vehicle at any moment, and the company has consistently maintained that none of its current production vehicles are capable of fully autonomous operation without human oversight. Under that framework, a driver remains legally responsible for the vehicle's operation regardless of whether driver-assistance features are active.

WFTV's report did not indicate whether investigators were able to confirm that any self-driving feature was actually engaged at the time of the arrest, nor did it detail how officers responded to the driver's explanation. Laws governing driving under the influence generally apply to anyone in physical control of a vehicle, and the presence of driver-assistance software has not been established as a legal defense against such charges.

No additional information about sentencing, court dates, or the man's identity was included in the original report. WFTV has not indicated whether it plans to publish updates as the case proceeds.

Source: WFTV