The viral video shows the car moving on the road with no one sitting in the driver’s seat. The vehicle can be seen honking and turning left and right while a young man sitting inside explains that it is being controlled remotely through the internet.
The young men appear impressed by the technology, with one of them saying that Pakistan certainly has no shortage of talent. Moments later, however, the vehicle crashes into a police van parked on the roadside.
The vehicle’s developer, Ehsan Zafar Abbasi, said he is a computer engineering student at COMSATS University in Abbottabad and had previously developed a remotely controlled vehicle.
According to Ehsan, the car is connected through the internet to an application on a mobile phone or computer. A 360-degree camera installed on the roof allows the operator to see the surroundings of the vehicle and control its movement, including starting, stopping and turning.
Ehsan said he was standing around 100 metres away from the vehicle when the incident occurred. While following instructions from the cameraman, he briefly turned his attention towards the camera to show the mobile phone and control buttons.
He said he intended to turn the vehicle to the right but accidentally pressed the button for a left turn. As he was not looking directly at the vehicle at that moment, the car moved towards the police van and crashed into it.
Ehsan said police officers listened to his explanation after the accident. He acknowledged his mistake and paid the required amount for the denting and painting of the police van, after which no legal action was taken against him.
Islamabad Police SP City Zone Dr Ayaz Hussain also described the incident as a human error, saying that the investigation found no evidence of a crime. He said young people like these are the future of Pakistan and that the police encourage such innovative efforts.
Ehsan said the vehicle has also been programmed to stop automatically if its internet connection is lost.
The video has attracted widespread attention on social media, with many users praising the young developer’s technical skills and calling for such projects to be encouraged. Others focused on the unexpected crash and turned the incident into a subject of humour.
