A Tesla driver told authorities he was using the car’s fully autonomous driving mode when he fatally struck a 71-year-old man crossing a Solano County highway early Thursday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.
The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. on westbound Interstate 80 at the Interstate 780 interchange, where Tesla’s dash camera showed the 71-year-old Vallejo man entering the highway from the right shoulder while the car was traveling about 70 mph, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Tesla braked and veered to the left as the man walked toward the car, but was unable to avoid striking the pedestrian with the right front portion of the car, the CHP said.
Authorities said at least one other vehicle struck the man as he lay on the highway. First responders arrived and determined the man had suffered life-threatening injuries. Authorities did not immediately respond to a request for the man’s identity.
The 26-year-old Tesla driver, from San Francisco, stopped and cooperated with police, providing the dashcam footage, the CHP said. “The driver stated that the vehicle was operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode at the time of the accident,” the agency said in a statement.
No other drivers stopped.
The Tesla driver was not cited after the crash, but if the investigation determines the driver was negligent in a way that caused the collision, charges could be filed with the prosecutor’s office, CHP Officer Scott Heitman said.
Thursday’s fatal crash was the second this month involving a Tesla using the fully autonomous driving mode on a Solano County highway. On Oct. 13, CHP officers were responding to a fatal crash on eastbound Interstate 80 near Fairfield when a Tesla driver crashed into a CHP patrol vehicle, injuring the two officers inside. The driver of the Tesla, a 22-year-old Sacramento man, told investigators he was sleeping while the car was in fully autonomous driving mode, Heitman said.
Three CHP patrol vehicles had their emergency lights on and four lanes of traffic were closed when the Tesla drove through safety cones and struck the CHP Dodge Charger.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature can steer, change lanes and park, but it requires drivers to remain alert and supervise the vehicle. Tesla says its 360-degree cameras and other safety features can reduce the severity of accidents or even prevent them altogether.
Drivers using this feature must monitor the road and be prepared to take control. Still, some motorists admitted to eating or napping while the system was activated, testing protective measures designed to prevent distracted driving.
The California Highway Patrol was investigating the crash Thursday and asked anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about other vehicles involved to contact the Solano area CHP office.
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