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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Technology
Elias Visontay Transport and urban affairs reporter

Runaway Tesla crashes into three cars and drives off rooftop at Sydney shopping centre car park

A Tesla crashed off a ledge in Sydney, NSW, Australia
NSW police said a male driver and female passenger were taken to hospital for assessment after the incident at the DFO shopping centre in Homebush, but no one else was injured. Photograph: Nine News

Police have launched an investigation after a Tesla collided with three cars before driving off a ledge in Sydney, amid questions about the electric vehicle manufacturer’s automation features.

Shortly before 10am on Saturday, emergency services responded to a call at the DFO shopping centre in Homebush after reports of the incident involving the Tesla sedan on its rooftop car park.

Footage of the incident broadcast by Channel Nine appeared to show the Tesla Model S crashing into two cars, before continuing at speed toward another vehicle, which it clipped.

The car then drove off a ledge of the car park, landing in a loading dock below.

The 59-year-old male driver of the Tesla and his 68-year-old female passenger were treated for injuries at the scene before being taken to hospital.

No one else was injured in the incident.

It is unclear from the footage if the driver had control of the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Earlier this year, US authorities investigating Tesla’s Autopilot feature found it had been involved in 13 fatal crashes.

Guardian Australia contacted Tesla for comment.

In a statement, New South Wales police said officers from the Auburn police command “attended and found a sedan had collided with three vehicles before driving off a ledge and landing in a loading dock”.

“The 59-year-old male driver and 68-year-old female passenger were treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics for chest pain, before being taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for assessment,” police said.

“Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing,” the police statement said.

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