Injured Officers Sue Tesla Over Texas Autopilot Crash

Five Texas police officers are suing Tesla Motors after being hit by the electric car company’s Model X — which was operated by a user in its so-called ‘autopilot’ mode.

Four Montgomery County Constables and a Splendora Police Officer were searching a car for drugs in late February when a Tesla going 70 mph struck four police SUVs, pushing the cars into the officers, injuring them.

Media reports from the night of showed that two of the SUVs were totaled.

The accident took place about 35 minutes north of Houston. The complaint says the driver was drunk and using the autopilot feature of the car. Michael Minh Le, 47, was identified by police at the time of the accident, but he is not listed in the suit. Pappasitos Cantina — the Mexican restaurant where he was prior to the accident, is also being sued for overserving him.

The police were seriously injured, according to the civil complaint. The men suffered permanent disabilities as a result. The officers are suing for $20 million.