Sleeping Long Island teen busted for DUI after driving Tesla down Connecticut highway on autopilot: ‘Just dangerous’

A tipsy Long Island teen went for a passed-out joyride in a Tesla — which he switched into autopilot mode on a busy Connecticut highway before going to sleep and being busted by cops, state police said.

Garden City native Guido Reinoso-Gallegos, 19, was slumped over the steering wheel as the self-driving vehicle rolled down I-91 south in Wethersfield at just 30 miles per hour with its hazard lights flashing when he was arrested around 12:30 am Friday.

Despite not having his hands on the wheel, Gallegos was charged with driving under the influence because he still needs the awareness to hit the gas or brake at any time if something were to happen, Connecticut State Police told The Stamford Advocate.

Guido Reinoso-Gallegos, 19, was charged with driving under the influence. State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

“You still need to be, basically, driving without driving, in a sense,” said Trooper Daniel Hill, who believes this to be the first arrest of its kind in the Constitution State.

“It’s just dangerous,” he added.

Trooper Charles Luby said that he and another officer pulled up to the Tesla with their lights flashing and sirens blaring in an attempt to wake Gallegos up, but he remained asleep.

They managed to get the Tesla to stop when one officer pulled in front of it, forcing the autopilot to stop the vehicle. They immediately checked on the driver to ensure he wasn’t having a medical emergency.

By then, “he had woken up,” Luby said. “I think he just kind of fell asleep.”

A Tesla electric vehicle is parked at a Tesla dealership, after Tesla, Inc. released its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, in Berlin, Germany April 23, 2025. REUTERS

The teenager appeared to be impaired and failed a field sobriety test. He was arrested without incident and charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and driving a vehicle at too slow a speed, state police said.

“At the end of the day, you’re sitting at the wheel, you’re supposed to be able to drive the vehicle,” Luby said. “If anything goes wrong, you’re supposed to be able to adjust for that.”

Gallegos posted a $1,500 bail and is due to appear in court in New Britain next month.