TESLA HITS CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL CAR AT CRASH SCENE

A Tesla struck a California Highway Patrol (CHP) car at a crash scene on Interstate 80 in Fairfield on Tuesday, seriously injuring two officers, according to CHP. The driver told investigators he had been asleep with Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” feature engaged. CHP said the Tesla passed through a lane closure marked by flares and cones before hitting a parked Dodge Charger with both officers inside. The officers went to hospital. CHP released video of the collision on Thursday, recorded by cameras on the patrol car and another vehicle at the scene.

The collision happened just before midnight on 13 October on the eastbound carriageway west of Air Base Parkway. About an hour earlier, a driver from San Pablo lost control of a Honda Civic, which a Chevrolet Tahoe then hit. The Civic driver died, CHP said. Officers had closed four lanes while responding to that crash. CHP said the Tesla approached the closure at motorway speed, while the video showed emergency lights operating at the scene.

NHTSA launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot software in 2021 after collisions with parked emergency vehicles. Its subsequent report linked the driver assistance features to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths in cases where the system and driver failed to respond. Tesla added controls and alerts to Autopilot in 2023 to prompt drivers to retain control when Autosteer is enabled. NHTSA later opened another investigation into whether those changes went far enough. CHP warned: “Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles.”