Police arrested a man in Louisiana for saying a Tesla injured him in a hit-and-run after it was clear that he staged a fake hit-and-run.
The Slidell Police Department claimed in a statement on Facebook that Arthur Bates Jr., 47, contacted 911 on Friday. He said he is “injured after being struck by a Tesla” in a gas station parking lot.
Bates claimed the Tesla driver backed into him and suffered injuries to his neck, back, and legs.
According to the Slidell Police Department, an ambulance immediately went to the site.
Police apprehended the Tesla driver. But he accused Bates of purposefully leaping behind his car and faking his fall and injuries. He accused Bates of staging a fake hit-and-run.
One of Tesla’s onboard cameras filmed the incident. The driver appears to be checking on Bates before driving away, according to the video posted by Slidell PD.
“When Slidell Police officers reviewed the Tesla’s video footage, it became apparent that Bates was lying and staged the entire event,” the Slidell PD statement said.
Bates later “admitted to fabricating the entire event”. Then, the police arrested him for “false swearing with the intent to cause an emergency response,” the department said.