A 71-year-old man was killed while crossing Interstate 80 in Vallejo, California, after a Tesla struck him early on October 22. The driver told California Highway Patrol officers that Full Self-Driving was engaged, according to the CHP account reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. on westbound I-80 at the Interstate 780 interchange. Dashcam footage reviewed by CHP captured the Tesla traveling around 70 mph as the man entered the freeway from the right shoulder.
The driver, a 26-year-old San Francisco man, stopped and provided the recording to officers. In KRON 4’s October 22 report, CHP Officer Scott Heitman described him as alert and ready to take over.
Heitman told the Chronicle that the driver had not been cited. Charges could still be pursued through the district attorney’s office if the investigation established that negligence by the driver caused the collision.
On the Freeway
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As the man walked into the Tesla’s path, the car braked and steered left. Its right front portion nevertheless struck him.
While he lay in the traffic lanes, at least one more vehicle struck him. No other drivers stopped, and first responders determined that the pedestrian had sustained fatal injuries.
In the KRON 4 interview, Heitman said CHP was trying to determine why the man was on the freeway, adding that he did not appear to have been a disabled motorist.
Behind the Wheel
Tesla describes Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a driver-assistance system that can steer, change lanes, and negotiate intersections under active human supervision. The company says it requires a fully attentive driver and does not make the vehicle autonomous.
In a separate October 13 crash described by the Chronicle, a Tesla hit a CHP patrol vehicle on eastbound I-80 near Fairfield, injuring two officers inside. That driver, a 22-year-old Sacramento man, told officers he had been asleep while using Full Self-Driving.
Three CHP patrol vehicles had their emergency lights on, and four lanes were closed as officers responded to an earlier fatal collision. The Tesla drove through safety cones before striking the CHP Dodge Charger.
CHP asked anyone who witnessed the October 22 crash or has information about other vehicles that struck the pedestrian to contact its Solano Area office.