Man Killed by Allegedly Self-Driving Tesla on California Freeway
A 71-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by a Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving mode on Interstate 80 near Vallejo, California.
A 71-year-old man was struck and killed by an allegedly self-driving Tesla on a California freeway early Thursday morning, authorities reported.
The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Interstate 80 near Vallejo, approximately 31 miles northeast of San Francisco. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that the driver of the Tesla, who is 26 years old, claimed the vehicle was operating in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode at the time of the collision. The victim and the driver have not been identified.
According to the CHP, dash cam footage from the Tesla showed the vehicle traveling in the middle lane at approximately 70 mph when the pedestrian suddenly entered the freeway from the right. The footage indicated that the Tesla's brakes were applied, and the car steered left in an attempt to avoid the pedestrian, but the front right portion of the vehicle struck the individual.
Authorities believe the man may have been struck by additional vehicles after the initial collision while lying on the roadway, but no other drivers stopped at the scene. It remains unclear why the pedestrian was on the freeway or the circumstances of any subsequent impacts.
The CHP extended condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
This incident marks the latest in a series of events involving Tesla vehicles operating with autonomous features. In a separate incident just days prior, a 22-year-old man reportedly claimed he was asleep when his Tesla crashed into a CHP cruiser on I-80 in Fairfield.
Earlier this summer, a Tesla Model 3 reportedly operating with an automated driving assistance system crashed through a home in Texas, killing a woman inside.
In February, Tesla agreed to pay nearly $250 million to the family of a woman killed in 2019 when a Model S, reportedly on autopilot, struck her and her boyfriend. The woman, 22, died from the impact, and her partner sustained serious injuries.
This news comes shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled what he described as the world's first flying car, with production targeted to begin in 2028 for a model called Roadster.