Texas Man Arrested, Facing Charges After Intentionally Driving Tesla Cybertruck Into Lake

A Texas man is facing criminal charges after authorities say he intentionally drove a Cybertruck into a lake.

The Grapevine Police Department confirmed the bizarre incident in a Facebook post on Tuesday, May 19.

According to police, officers were dispatched to Katie’s Woods Park Boat Ramp, where a Tesla Cybertruck was in the water, “near the shoreline.”

Authorities said the unidentified driver purposely drove the truck into the lake to test out the Cybertruck’s “wade mode,” a feature designed to help the vehicle navigate through shallow bodies of water.

“The vehicle became disabled and took on water. The driver and passengers abandoned the vehicle and the Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team assisted in removing it from the lake,” police said.

The driver was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle in a closed section of a park/lake and “numerous water safety equipment violations.”

“We want to remind drivers that although a vehicle may be physically capable of entering shallow freshwater areas, doing so can create legal and safety concerns under Texas law,” authorities concluded.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, the incident occurred just before 8 p.m. on Monday, May 18, approximately 25 miles north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

The Tesla Cybertruck owner’s manual describes the “wade mode” as a feature that “allows Cybertruck to enter and drive through bodies of water, such as rivers or creeks.” However, the feature comes with several warnings, including that “The maximum wade depth is approximately 32 in. (815 mm) measuring from the bottom of the tire.”