Self-Driving Tesla Car Kills 71-Year-Old Man On US Road | Sahara Reporters
The incident occurred at about 2:35am on Thursday on westbound Interstate 80 near the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A 71-year-old man has been killed after being struck by a Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving mode while crossing a freeway in California, United States.
The incident occurred at about 2:35am on Thursday on westbound Interstate 80 near the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead after emergency responders arrived at the scene and discovered that he had sustained fatal injuries.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the Tesla, a 26-year-old man from San Francisco, told officers that the vehicle was operating in full self-driving mode when it struck the pedestrian.
A preliminary review of footage from the vehicle’s dashboard camera showed that the Tesla was travelling at approximately 70 miles per hour when the man entered the freeway from the right shoulder and began crossing towards the central divider.
The footage reportedly showed the vehicle applying its brakes and steering to the left in an attempt to avoid hitting the pedestrian.
“Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the Tesla struck the individual,” the California Highway Patrol said.
The authorities also said the pedestrian appeared to have been struck by at least one other vehicle while lying in the traffic lanes following the initial collision.
The drivers of the other vehicles involved did not stop at the scene, and their identities remain unknown.
The Tesla driver reportedly remained at the scene, cooperated with investigators and provided the dashboard camera footage to the authorities.
The California Highway Patrol’s Solano-area office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and has appealed to members of the public who witnessed the crash or have information about the other vehicles involved to come forward.
The fatality has drawn attention to the use of automated driving technology on public roads, particularly the circumstances under which vehicles operating with such systems may be unable to avoid collisions.
The investigation is ongoing, and the available preliminary findings do not establish that the vehicle’s driving-assistance technology caused the crash.
The California Highway Patrol has urged motorists to remain attentive and responsible while driving, noting that full self-driving technology does not remove the driver’s responsibility for the safe operation of a vehicle.