A Louisiana man has been arrested for allegedly lying about running over a Tesla after the vehicle’s 360-degree camera system recorded the entire ordeal.
Arthur Bates Jr., 47, told police he was injured after being hit by a Tesla in the reverse gear in the parking lot of a busy gas station in Slidell, just outside New Orleans, last Friday.
But video of the incident filmed on the electric vehicle’s cameras shows Bates faked his injuries, according to police.
The ordeal unfolded when Bates called 911 to allege he suffered injuries to his back, legs and neck after being hit by the electric car.
First responders, including an ambulance and a fire truck, were sent to the scene.
Bates told police the Tesla driver had fled afterwards.
When police finally located the Tesla driver, he told officers Bates had intentionally jumped behind the car as he drove back.
Police said that without Bates knowing, Teslas comes equipped with several cameras that record the entire vehicle.
The images, released by police, show Bates being thrown to the ground as the Tesla began to reverse.
One person, believed to be the driver of Tesla, could be seen talking to Bates immediately afterwards.
Bates was still lying on the ground while the Tesla driver was leaving.
“When Slidell police officers reviewed Tesla’s video footage, it became apparent that Bates was lying and organized the entire event,” police said in a statement.
According to police, he admitted to lying about being beaten after being confronted with the images, and was arrested for falsifying a police report.