GRAPEVINE, Texas — A man who intentionally drove his Tesla Cybertruck into Grapevine Lake on Monday night said he had used the truck’s “Wade Mode” before without any issues but went too deep this time and got stuck.
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Police arrested Jimmy Jack McDaniel, 70, after he and two visitors from Germany to whom he was giving a ride became marooned near a boat ramp around 8 p.m. Monday at the lake, which is just north of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Grapevine Police said he faces charges of operating a vehicle in a closed section of the park. He also faces boat-related charges including not having a valid boat registration and not having lifejackets or a fire extinguisher on board the truck.
McDaniel told a reporter that the issue was not with the Cybertruck itself, which he said he has driven in the lake before and even driven in the Atlantic Ocean without problem.
This time, he said, he made a “miscalculation” and went too deep while taking out for a spin a German father and son who were visiting his neighbor. All three escaped from the truck through the window, video showed.
McDaniel said he believes water got into the truck’s charging port, which caused a short and the steering system to shut down. The Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team later towed the truck out of the lake, police said.
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“Don’t drive into the water with your vehicle,” said Grapevine Police Media Manager Katharina Gamboa. “Didn’t think I’d have to say that one.”
She said it was a safety issue, both for the people on board and anyone on the shore.
“We have children on these shores, we have families visiting the lake,” she said. “It’s a safety risk.”
McDaniel said a crew has returned the Cybertruck and that he is hopeful he will be able to drive it again.
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