The Dalek-like robotic TV cameras zooming around the centre of the speed skating ring at the Winter Olympics offer a fresh and slightly spooky example of the myriad ways that very clever machines are doing the work of humans, often much more efficiently. In the US, however, a Tesla driver has offered a timely reminder that robots, too, can get it quite badly wrong. Daniel Milligan, a former SpaceX employee who served as an equipment reliability engineer, revealed on Twitter (X) on Monday that his Tesla tried to drive him into a lake.
My Tesla tried to drive me into a lake today! FSD version 14.2.2.4 (2025.45.9.1)@Tesla @aelluswamy pic.twitter.com/ykWZFjUm8k
— Daniel Milligan (@lilmill2000) February 16, 2026
As can be seen in the video, while under control of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” software, Milligan’s Tesla takes an early right-turn down a boat ramp into a lake. According to Milligan, the vehicle was running FSD version 14.2.2.4, build 2025.45.9.1., which is apparently one of the latest updates that Tesla has pushed through to its vehicles. The original video quickly raced to over a million views. Milligan has also subsequently provided an update to his Twitter feed in which he recreates the issue while filming from inside his car on Monday night – as distinct from the original video, which appears to have been recorded by the Tesla itself.
Milligan had also attempted a repeat earlier in the day, and his Tesla “completely skipped the boat ramp”, unlike the way it had the night before, on its way to the proper destination. Milligan hypothesised that the Tesla “could actually see the driveway up ahead in the daytime or could more clearly see the lake.” This marks just the latest in a long run of Tesla FSD incidents that do little to alleviate the concerns of the masses on the subject of self-driving cars. Despite all the positive reviews of Tesla’s FSD software – such as our own Tim Eden’s in September of last year, following its release in Australia – continued glitches and mishaps, be they dangerous or simply bemusing, are still arising. At least there were no (obvious) Dalek-looking robots involved in this instance.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
