Driver blames Autopilot as Tesla rear-ends bus in Germany

BERLIN – Police in northern Germany say that a Tesla driver is blaming the car's Autopilot after crashing into the rear of a bus on a highway. Ratzeburg police say that the crash happened Wednesday afternoon on a stretch of autobahn about 50 km (30 miles) east of Hamburg. The Tesla driver was slightly injured. Police said in a statement Thursday that the 50-year-old Tesla driver told officers he had used the Autopilot. It wasn't immediately clear whether police had themselves confirmed the Autopilot's use, and calls to the Ratzeburg police precinct weren't answered late Thursday. A Tesla spokeswoman in Palo Alto, California, said Thursday the Autopilot system was on and functioned properly in the incident, based on conversations the company had with the driver and authorities.