Student cleared after driverless car hits police vehicle

Islamabad Police have cleared a computer engineering student after his driverless car collided with a police vehicle at D-Chowk during a technology demonstration.

Police said their inquiry found no evidence that an offence had been committed. The incident was described as an unintended mistake that occurred while the student was testing his invention.

Islamabad City Zone Superintendent of Police Ayaz Hussain said the police had investigated the incident after a video of the collision went viral on social media. He said the student was testing new technology and had not deliberately caused the crash.

The police officer appeared alongside the student in a video message. He said young people working on innovative projects should be encouraged rather than discouraged because of genuine mistakes during testing.

The incident involved computer engineering student Ahsan Zafar Abbasi. He is a third-semester student at COMSATS University and is from Abbottabad. According to Ahsan, he has been working on technology-related projects since 2018.

Ahsan said the vehicle was part of his project. He described it as a driverless car controlled through the internet. He said he travelled to Islamabad to demonstrate the vehicle during an interview.

The demonstration was being filmed when the car approached D-Chowk. According to Ahsan, the interviewer wanted the police vehicle to appear in the video. He then attempted to change the car’s direction.

However, the wrong control key was pressed. Instead of turning right, the vehicle turned sharply left and moved towards the police vehicle. The car subsequently struck the police vehicle from the side.

A person sitting inside the driverless car attempted to stop it by using the handbrake, but the collision could not be avoided.

Ahsan said the incident was caused by a technical control error. He expressed gratitude to Islamabad Police for investigating the matter and giving him an opportunity to explain how the technology worked.

He said he intends to continue developing driverless technology. He also expressed hope that his work could contribute to Pakistan’s reputation in the field of innovation and technology.

The collision attracted considerable attention on social media after footage of the incident circulated widely. The video showed the driverless vehicle moving along D-Chowk before suddenly changing direction and hitting the police vehicle.

Journalist Muhammad Aalijah, who was sitting in the passenger seat during the demonstration, later issued a separate clarification. He said he had shared the video because he regularly highlights the achievements and innovations of young Pakistanis.

Aalijah said his intention was not to embarrass the student. Instead, he wanted to highlight both the potential of the project and the risks associated with testing such technology.

He said several people, including Ahsan, had asked him to remove the footage. However, he decided to keep it online because he believed it could serve as a warning for others carrying out similar experiments.

Aalijah stressed that driverless vehicles require proper safety measures before being tested in public areas. He said a similar technical failure in a busier location could have resulted in more serious consequences.