A police driver in California was forced to end their pursuit of a suspect after their Tesla car ran out of power.
Yup, that's a pretty anti-climactic (and, I'd imagine, fairly frustrating) way to end a high-speed car chase.
Officer Jesse Hartman from Fremont Police Department in California had been pursuing a suspect in a department-issued Tesla Model S car last Friday.
Advert
Both the suspect and the officer were reportedly clocking up speeds of 120 miles per hour, but suddenly the policeman radioed to announce he would have to drop the chase.
In audio obtained by The Mercury News, Hartman can be heard saying to dispatch: "I am down to six miles of battery on the Tesla so I may lose it here in a sec."
Addressing fellow officers nearby, he added: "If someone else is able, can they manoeuvre into the number one spot?"
Eventually, the suspect began driving on the shoulder of the highway as traffic began to hinder the path, prompting police to call off the chase for safety.
Advert
Hartman pulled off the highway to make a pit stop, saying over radio: "I've got to try to find a charging station for the Tesla so I can make it back to the city."
Geneva Bosques, a Fremont police department spokeswoman, said Hartman was thankfully able to find a charger in San Jose, and powered the Tesla back up.
Bosques said the car had not been recharged after its previous shift before Hartman took it out, meaning the battery level was lower than it should have been.
She also told CNN: "It happens from time to time, especially if an officer returns to the station to take a report and then they never go back out in the street."
Advert
California State Highway Patrol alter found the suspect's car abandoned in San Jose. The driver had fled the scene.
Fremont's police department hit headlines earlier this year when it announced it would likely become the first police agency in America to roll out a Tesla as part of its patrol fleet.
Fremont Police Capt. Sean Washington said in a July interview that things were going well with the Tesla programme, noting there is usually about 40 to 50 percent battery life left after a average shift.
Advert
He said: "So far so good.
"We are easily able to make it through an 11-hour shift with battery power to spare."
Bosques told CNN they are now six months into the pilot programme for using the electric cars, and said last week's incident didn't change the way the department felt about the performance of the model.
She said: "We have no written policy regarding gas or charging, but the general guideline is that it should at least be half full at the beginning of the shift, which this car was."
Advert
LADbible has contacted Tesla for comment.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Police, tesla, News, US News