Seattle, Washington – A 35-year-old accountant was arrested early yesterday morning after his Tesla Model S carried him 200 miles across state lines on Autopilot while he slept soundly in the driver’s seat.
Authorities pulled over the vehicle just past the Idaho border around 3 a.m. when a state trooper noticed it weaving slightly on Interstate 90. Bob Harlan, the driver, admitted to dozing off shortly after leaving Seattle for a quick trip to visit family in Spokane, trusting the car’s Full Self-Driving feature to navigate the route. “Hey, the car said it could handle it— I was just catching some Z’s after a late-night spreadsheet showdown,” Harlan quipped to officers as he rubbed sleep from his eyes, still clutching a half-eaten bag of chips.
The incident highlights ongoing debates about Tesla’s Autopilot limitations, with critics pointing to similar near-misses reported nationwide. Idaho State Police Lt. Maria Gonzalez described the scene: “We woke him up with sirens, and his first words were, ‘Did I miss the exit for caffeine?’ It’s lucky no one was hurt, but this guy’s faith in robots is stronger than his coffee addiction.” Harlan faces misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and improper use of automated driving systems, with a court date set for next week. Tesla issued a statement reminding owners to stay alert, though Harlan joked on social media that he’s already pre-ordering the next software update to include “nap mode.”