Photo: CHP via Instagram
Over the past few days, one Tesla owner attempted a meteoric rise to stardom by using his vehicle in a manner not intended by its manufacturer and posting his shenanigans on every social media network you can think of.
The man popped up on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and since his behavior merited it, he was quickly featured on Reddit as well, but no on the kind of subreddits you'd want to have your name associated with. What the man later identified as Param Sharma did was travel in his Tesla Model 3 electric sedan while lounging in the backseat, sometimes using his feet to provide input to the steering wheel, sometimes just enjoying the passing scenery without even bothering to do that.
His antics didn't go unnoticed by the people sharing the road with him, and if Tesla refuses to crack down on this kind of behavior more violently, then the public had to take matters into their own hands. So, presumably infuriated by Sharma's recklessness and rightfully fearing for their wellbeing and that of others, drivers started alerting the police.
After several reports had been made to the California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Division Communications Center yesterday (May 10) about a man traveling in a Tesla Model 3 down I-80 toward Oakland, a CHP officer located at the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza identified the vehicle, confirmed nobody was sat in the driver's seat and "initiated an enforcement stop."
It would seem Sharma had no plans of disobeying the law any further as he moved behind the wheel and stopped the EV on the shoulder as requested before being apprehended by the officer without any incidents. Sharma was charged with two counts of reckless driving and disobeying a Peace Officer and can now be found at the Santa Rita Jail. His car has been towed as is considered evidence and will remain impounded during the ongoing investigation.
It may not seem that way to Param Sharma at the moment, but this story has actually had a happy ending for everyone, himself included. Hopefully, the more exposure his case gets, the quicker carmakers and lawmakers will make a common effort to prevent people from further abusing vehicle features like Tesla's Autopilot. Because accidents happen with drivers behind the steering wheel too, but it's always a good idea to at least give yourself a chance to avoid it. Good luck doing that from the backseat, no matter how nimble your feet are.
His antics didn't go unnoticed by the people sharing the road with him, and if Tesla refuses to crack down on this kind of behavior more violently, then the public had to take matters into their own hands. So, presumably infuriated by Sharma's recklessness and rightfully fearing for their wellbeing and that of others, drivers started alerting the police.
After several reports had been made to the California Highway Patrol's Golden Gate Division Communications Center yesterday (May 10) about a man traveling in a Tesla Model 3 down I-80 toward Oakland, a CHP officer located at the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza identified the vehicle, confirmed nobody was sat in the driver's seat and "initiated an enforcement stop."
It would seem Sharma had no plans of disobeying the law any further as he moved behind the wheel and stopped the EV on the shoulder as requested before being apprehended by the officer without any incidents. Sharma was charged with two counts of reckless driving and disobeying a Peace Officer and can now be found at the Santa Rita Jail. His car has been towed as is considered evidence and will remain impounded during the ongoing investigation.
It may not seem that way to Param Sharma at the moment, but this story has actually had a happy ending for everyone, himself included. Hopefully, the more exposure his case gets, the quicker carmakers and lawmakers will make a common effort to prevent people from further abusing vehicle features like Tesla's Autopilot. Because accidents happen with drivers behind the steering wheel too, but it's always a good idea to at least give yourself a chance to avoid it. Good luck doing that from the backseat, no matter how nimble your feet are.
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