A California man whose Tesla sedan plowed into the back of a state trooper’s SUV along Interstate 10 near Benson last summer with such force the patrol vehicle rammed into an ambulance has been charged by the Cochise County Attorney’s Office of several felonies.
Omeed Shaaf, 24, has been ordered to appear in Cochise County Superior Court on Aug. 25 on a nine-count criminal complaint filed July 1. The charges stem from a violent collision on July 14, 2020 as Shaaf and his Tesla Model S were traveling on eastbound Interstate 10.
The Tesla, which had self-driving features, struck an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) patrol vehicle which was parked fully on the shoulder and had its emergency lights activated. The force of the impact lifted the patrol vehicle off the ground and moved it forward several feet, causing it to collide into a HealthCare Innovations ambulance which was on-scene of an unrelated emergency.
According to DPS, Shaaf claimed he enabled the Tesla Model S’s autopilot, which the company says can allow the car “to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane…without driver input.” That model also comes standard with 360 degree cameras, forward-facing radar, and ultrasonic sensors for detecting potential hazards.
The filing of criminal charges took nearly one year due to delays at the DPS crime lab caused by COVID-19. The collision also had to be reviewed by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration which tracks reports of accidents involving self-driving vehicles.
Public records show Shaaf was transported from the scene to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries; there were no reported injuries to the occupants of the HCI ambulance nor to the DPS sergeant who was standing next to his patrol vehicle at the time of impact.
Shaaf is charged with three counts of endangerment, two counts of DUI, and one count each of criminal property damage and possession of a narcotic drug. There are also two felony counts of aggravated assault. He will have a chance to partake in an Early Resolution Court process during the Aug. 25 hearing.
The prosecution is being handled by Terisha Driggs, a deputy county attorney. Shaaf has secured private legal representation.
