A Tesla drove through flares and cones at a closed-off crash scene on Interstate 80 near Fairfield, California, late on Tuesday and hit a stationary California Highway Patrol (CHP) car with two officers inside. According to CHP, the driver said he was asleep and using the car’s driver-assistance technology. Whether Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software was actually engaged has not been confirmed.
What happened
CBS Sacramento reported that officers were investigating an earlier fatal crash. In that crash, CHP said, a 19-year-old San Pablo man driving a Honda Civic lost control for an unknown reason and was then hit by a Chevrolet Tahoe. The Civic driver died in hospital.
At around 11:45 p.m., four CHP officers were still at the scene with four lanes closed and traffic diverted into the slow lane. Investigators told CBS that “a Tesla driven by a 22-year-old Sacramento man went through a flare and cone pattern and hit a CHP Dodge Charger with two officers inside.” Both officers were taken to NorthBay Hospital in Fairfield and have since been released.
ABC7 reported that the crash happened near Air Base Parkway and that, according to CHP, the Tesla did not heed “flares, cones, and flashing emergency lights”. It said the officers were seriously injured and that the Tesla driver was not hurt. On Thursday, CHP released dashcam footage showing the Tesla travelling down the motorway and hitting the back of the patrol car.
The driver’s claim
According to ABC7, the driver told CHP he was asleep in the vehicle and using its driver-assistance technology. That is the driver’s own account. It has not been verified by CHP or Tesla, and neither has published any vehicle data.
NBC Bay Area reported: “It is unknown whether the Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature was active at the time of the collision.” CBS likewise reported that CHP said it is not yet known whether FSD was active. CHP has not released the Tesla’s model or software version.
CHP did make its view of responsibility clear. In a social-media post quoted by ABC7, it said: “Full Self-Driving does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to keep everyone safe. As the driver, YOU are responsible for your vehicle’s actions!”
Tesla’s driver-assistance features, including FSD (Supervised), require a driver who is paying attention and ready to take over. They do not make the car autonomous.
Why it matters
Crashes involving driver-assistance systems at emergency scenes, where vehicles are stopped in live lanes with lights flashing, have long been a concern for regulators. TSN has previously reported on Tesla’s own filings to US regulators, including one marking its driver-assist system as “verified engaged” in a fatal crash in New Jersey. In this case, though, no such data has been released. What the car was doing in the seconds before impact depends on evidence that is not public.
What is still unknown
- Whether Autopilot, FSD or any other assistance feature was actually engaged.
- The vehicle model and software version.
- Whether the driver will face charges. None of the outlets we read reported any.
- Whether Tesla or federal regulators will look into the crash.
What this means
- A Tesla hit a patrol car at a marked crash scene, injuring two CHP officers, who have since been released from hospital.
- The claim that the driver was asleep in driver-assist mode comes from the driver, as relayed by CHP. Whether FSD was active is unknown.
- CHP says drivers remain responsible for their cars whatever assistance features are switched on.
Sources
- CBS Sacramento: 2 CHP officers injured while investigating deadly I-80 crash near Fairfield
- ABC7: Driver asleep as Tesla plows into scene of crash on I-80
- NBC Bay Area: Driver says he was asleep when Tesla crashed into CHP patrol car on I-80
Related stories
- Tesla’s Own Report to US Regulators Marks Driver-Assist as “Verified Engaged” in a Fatal Crash in Vineland, New Jersey
- Tesla’s Latest Robotaxi Filings Say a Remote Support Operator Was Driving When Two Cars Hit Objects at Walking Speed
- Tesla: The Last 12 Months, What Shipped, What Slipped and What Is Only Planned
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