BRANSON, MISSOURI — A Tesla Model X driver who suffered a pulmonary embolism was saved by the vehicle’s autopilot function when it took him to the hospital in time for treatment. <br /> <br />Tesla Model X owner Joshua Neally was driving from Springfield, Missouri to Branson on Tuesday afternoon for his 4-year-old daughter’s birthday when he experienced a stabbing pain in his chest caused by pulmonary embolism, local NBC affiliate KY3 reported. <br /> <br />Suffering what he told KY3 was “excruciating” pain, the 37-year-old attorney activated his car’s autopilot system and let the vehicle drive him to a nearby hospital for treatment. He then parked the vehicle himself in the parking lot and checked in to the emergency room, Neally told Slate. <br /> <br />Neally was promptly treated by the medical staff and was able to return home later evening. <br /> <br />The news comes at a good time for Tesla, after its autopilot function led to two recent crashes. In May, a Tesla driver in Florida died when neither he nor the car’s autopilot was able to detect a truck in its path. And last month, a Tesla Model X driving on autopilot swerved and hit wooden rails on a road in Montana.
