A demonstration of a homemade “driverless” car ended with a comically unfortunate target when the vehicle veered into a parked police van. Video from Pakistan shows journalist Muhammad Aalijah sitting in the front passenger seat as the car moves without anyone behind the wheel. The technology appears to work for a few moments before the car turns toward the police vehicle and slams into it. No injuries were reported.
The demonstration took place at D-Chowk, a high-security area near Pakistan’s Parliament House in Islamabad. Aalijah was recording an interview about an internet-controlled vehicle developed by Ehsan Zafar Abbasi, a computer engineering student from Abbottabad. Abbasi was reportedly operating the vehicle remotely while the journalist described the invention from inside the car. The empty driver’s seat was meant to demonstrate that the vehicle could be controlled from somewhere else.
The clip begins with the car moving along the roadway while Aalijah speaks confidently about the project. According to translated versions of the footage, he remarks, “Certainly, there is no shortage of talent in Pakistan,” shortly before the demonstration falls apart. The car suddenly changes direction and heads toward the police van as Aalijah reaches for the handbrake. His last-second effort doesn’t stop the collision, which produces a loud thud and jolts the police van.
The video was later shared by the Breaking911 X account as it circulated across social media. Pakistani outlet Dawn reported that Aalijah initially blamed the wreck on a disruption to the vehicle’s internet connection. “Everything was fine until a technical fault occurred due to an internet disruption, causing the car to go out of control and crash into a police vehicle,” he said.
The journalist later said the system depended on satellite and internet connections and was not yet “completely safe and reliable.” He warned that losing the connection during external control left the vehicle unmanageable, although the handbrake remained available inside the car. The relatively empty location helped keep the mishap from becoming far more serious. Reports said the collision caused only minor damage.
A later account from the student offered a different explanation for the sudden turn. Geo News reported that Abbasi said he accidentally pressed the wrong control while being asked to show the operating phone to the camera. He said he hit the left command instead of the right command, causing the car to turn toward the police van. That explanation attributed the crash to operator error rather than a lost internet connection.
Watch the remote-controlled mishap here:
"*" indicates required fields
Islamabad Police investigated the collision after the clip spread online and concluded that no offense had been committed. SP City Dr. Ayaz Hussain said the wreck “resulted from a human error while testing the student’s invention.” Police inspected the system and spoke with Abbasi about its software and hardware before reaching that conclusion. Hussain also encouraged young Pakistanis to continue pursuing technological projects.
Abbasi identified himself as a third-semester computer engineering student at COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus. He said he had been doing practical work since around 2018 and had established a laboratory inside his home for his projects. The student thanked police for their cooperation and said he intended to keep developing his skills. He also expressed hope that his work could eventually bring international recognition to Pakistan.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.