Tesla on Full Self-Driving mode kills 71-year-old pedestrian crossing I-80 in Vallejo
A 26-year-old driver told CHP his Tesla was doing 70 mph in autonomous mode when it struck a man crossing the freeway at 2:30 AM — the second FSD-related crash on I-80 in a week.
A Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving mode struck and killed a 71-year-old man who was crossing westbound I-80 in Vallejo, California, at around 2:30 AM Thursday, the California Highway Patrol confirmed — the second serious crash on the same freeway involving Tesla's FSD feature in the span of a week.
The Tesla's 26-year-old driver, from San Francisco, told officers the vehicle was traveling in the second lane at approximately 70 mph in autonomous mode when the man walked onto the freeway from the right shoulder and began crossing lanes toward the center divide, stepping directly into the car's path.
CHP reviewed dashcam footage the driver provided and described what it showed: the Tesla's brakes engaged and the car steered left in an attempt to avoid the pedestrian.
Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the Tesla struck the individual.— California Highway Patrol
Emergency responders arrived to find the man's injuries had been fatal. CHP said it appears the pedestrian was struck by at least one additional vehicle while lying in the traffic lanes, but no other drivers stopped. The Tesla driver remained at the scene, cooperated with investigators, and was not cited pending the outcome of the investigation. CHP's Solano Area office is asking anyone with information about other vehicles involved to come forward.
The crash comes one week after a separate FSD-related incident on the same stretch of I-80, in which a driver said he was asleep and relying on Full Self-Driving when his Tesla collided with a police car stopped at an accident scene. Following that crash, CHP issued a public reminder: 'Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles,' according to The Verge.
Why it matters — The fatal crash — the second FSD-linked incident on I-80 in a week — puts fresh pressure on regulators and Tesla to clarify what autonomous driving features can and cannot do, and what legal responsibility drivers bear when they hand control to the software.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- At least one other vehicle struck the pedestrian after the Tesla hit him.
Reported by theverge.com, latimes.com, sfchronicle.com
