Humans might lie, but video doesn’t.
A Louisiana man has been arrested for allegedly faking a hit-and-run by a fancy Tesla, after the high-tech car captured footage of the suspect throwing himself on the ground behind its bumper.
Police in Slidell, La., hailed the car for “outsmarting” the suspect, who has since been arrested.
Arthur Bates Jr., 47, faces one charge of falsifying a police report in connection with the incident, which happened at a gas station Friday afternoon around 4 p.m.
Authorities say the suspect called 911 to report that he’d been struck by a Tesla as it backed up in the parking lot. The suspect claimed that the car drove off after the alleged collision.
He also complained that his leg, back and neck were sore, prompting police, firefighters and paramedics to show up at the scene.
Police later tracked down the car and spoke to its owner, who told them that Bates “intentionally jumped behind his vehicle” to stage the accident.
“Unbeknownst to Bates, Teslas record all the footage of their cameras,” police wrote in a Facebook post. “When Slidell Police officers reviewed the Tesla’s video footage, it became apparent that Bates was lying and staged the entire event.”
Video released by police shows the suspect walking behind the Tesla as it backs up. The car stops and the man throws himself backward a second later. He sits still, one foot held up and the other resting on the Tesla’s bumper, for several seconds. A man — presumably the driver — then enters the frame, brushes the suspect’s foot off the car and then walks away. The car then drives off.
Authorities confronted Bates about the video and he ultimately confessed to falsifying the report, police say.
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