Police: Tesla In Autopilot Sped up Before Utah Crash

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A new police report says a Tesla that crashed in Utah while in Autopilot mode accelerated just before it smashed into a stopped firetruck.

The incident report obtained by The Associated Press Thursday through a public records request also reveals that the driver told police she assumed the vehicle's automatic brakes would detect stopped traffic and stop.

Police speculated that a car in front of the Tesla changed lanes and the vehicle accelerated to regain speed without noticing the stopped cars ahead.

Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The 29-year-old driver, Heather Lommatzsch, was charged with a misdemeanor traffic citation after police say vehicle data shows she didn't touch the steering wheel for 80 seconds before the crash.

A voicemail left for Lommatzsch wasn't immediately returned.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press.