Peninsula Tesla 'Autopilot' DUI Suspect Sentenced

REDWOOD CITY, CA — A man accusing of passing out while driving his Tesla in “driver assist” mode on a Peninsula freeway in 2018 has pleaded guilty to DUI charges, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Alexander Joseph Samek, 45 of Los Altos Hills, was sentenced to three years of probation and two days in jail, of which he was credited for already serving one day, the DA’s Office said. He was also ordered to pay a $1,874 fine and complete the nine-month first offender program.

Samek was arrested on suspicion of DUI in the early morning hours of Nov. 30, 2018 after California Highway Patrol officers conducted an operation to get his vehicle — which was believed to be in the 'driver assist' mode — to slow to a stop in the middle of the highway, the agency said.

A CHP patrol team at around 3:35 a.m. on the southbound side of Highway 101 near Whipple Avenue spotted a man, later identified as Samek, in a Tesla Model S going about 70 miles per hour and recognized something was off.

"The officers drove their patrol vehicle next to the Tesla and observed that Samek appeared to be asleep at the wheel," CHP Officer Montiel said around the time of the crash.

The officers got behind the Tesla and turned on their lights to initiate a traffic enforcement stop, according to Montiel. However, the driver "was unresponsive."

"Officers then positioned their patrol vehicle in front of the Tesla and began slowing directly in front of the Tesla in hopes that the 'driver assist' feature had been activated and therefore the Tesla would slow to a stop as the patrol vehicle came to a stop," Montiel said. "The Tesla came to a complete stop within the #3 lane of US-101 southbound, north of Embarcadero."

It wasn't until officers knocked on the window and gave "verbal commands" that Samek woke up, according to the officer. Officers loaded the 45-year-old into a patrol car, while the CHP drove the Tesla off the freeway.

— Patch Staffer Renee Schiavone contributed to this report