Politics
Tesla driver arrested for sitting in backseat with no one behind the wheel insists Elon Musk ‘knows what he’s doing’
A NIGHT in jail didn’t humble one Tesla passenger and diehard Elon Musk fan.
Param Sharma, 25, claims even after he was caught in a semi-autonomous Tesla sitting in the rear without anybody in the driver’s seat, he’s going to keep doing it.
Motorist captured video of backseat driving suspect, Param Sharma, 25, wheeling around Northern California without anybody sitting in the driver’s seat[/caption]
Sharma faces reckless driving and disobeying a police officer charges when he was pulled over for the second time in weeks for sitting in the backseat of a driverless Tesla[/caption]
“I’m gonna go in the back seat right now, you feel me,” he said in an interview with KTVU after being freed from an overnight stay at Santa Rita Jail.
“I’m waiting for my car to charge.”
Sharma was taken into custody by California Highway Patrol (CHP) on Monday night and faces multiple reckless driving charges and disobeying a peace officer, according to an official summary of the incident.
Part of Sharma’s motivation to let the car do all the driving appears to be his unfettered faith in Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Sharma says his support in Tesla founder Elon Musk compelled him to let the machine do all the work while he sits in the rear[/caption]
Authorities received multiple 911 calls and a toll bridge worker also reported Sharma’s alleged attempt to sit in the rear of the Tesla back on the evening of May 10[/caption]
Despite getting caught for sitting in the backseat of a Tesla Model 3 on April 27 and May 10, Sharma appears determined to keep committing the stunt[/caption]
“I’ve been brake-checked before really hard, and the car stopped,” he told KTVU. “The car came to a complete stop.
“Elon Musk really knows what he’s doing and I think people are tripping and they’re scared.”
Authorities were alerted to Sharma’s alleged backseat driving escapades back on Monday evening when they fielded several 911 calls “regarding an individual in the backseat of a Tesla Model 3 without anyone seated in the driver’s seat,” according to the California Highway Patrol.
At least one person managed to record a cell phone video of a man, purported to be Sharma, sitting in the backseat of a Tesla.
It’s unclear exactly when the video was shot.
Then a Bay Bridge Toll Plaza worker informed Oakland police about a man whom they say was disobeying road rules by relaxing in the backseat while the Tesla Model 3 was commuting on public roadways.
Once a unit attempted to pull Sharma’s Tesla over, Highway Patrol reported that Sharma did “move into the driver’s seat” to manually get the car to brake to a stop and was then put under arrest.
Sharma may be determined to hop back into the Tesla, however, the car that he was caught kicking back in appears to have been confiscated.
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The Tesla was “towed from the scene for evidence and this incident remains under investigation,” CHP confirmed.
What’s more, Sharma’s May 10 backseat bust may not have been Sharma’s first slap from the law.
In fact, CHP claims they cited Sharma weeks before on April 27 and claim the accused backseat driver was seen “operating his vehicle in the same reckless manner.”
Since Tesla introduced autonomy technology in their advanced cars, there have been numerous incidents involving drivers sleeping at the wheel or others trying to cheat by steering the wheel with other items besides their hands.
Sharma is scheduled to appear in court to answer for the matter on July 6, the television station reported.
