Tesla in Autopilot sped up before Utah crash
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A new police report says a Tesla that crashed in Utah while in Autopilot mode accelerated just before it smashed into a stopped firetruck.
The incident report obtained by The Associated Press Thursday through a public records request also reveals that the driver told police she assumed the vehicle's automatic brakes would detect stopped traffic and stop.
Police speculated that a car in front of the Tesla changed lanes and the vehicle accelerated to regain speed without noticing the stopped cars ahead.
Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 29-year-old driver, Heather Lommatzsch, was charged with a misdemeanor traffic citation after police say vehicle data shows she didn't touch the steering wheel for 80 seconds before the crash.
A voicemail left for Lommatzsch wasn't immediately returned.