A pedestrian who walked into the road on U.S. Interstate 80 in California was struck and killed by a Tesla operating in its autonomous mode Thursday.
The pedestrian, a 71-year-old man who has not been named by authorities, entered the westbound lanes of I-80 in Vallejo, 20 miles from Oakland, around 2:30 a.m., the California Highway Patrol Solano Office said on social media.
The man was then struck by a Tesla in full self-driving mode, with a 26-year-old San Francisco man behind the wheel. He stayed at the scene.
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Dash cam footage provided by the driver to the highway patrol showed the car going about 70 mph, braking, veering to the left to try and avoid the pedestrian and striking the man, the highway patrol said.
The pedestrian was also struck by other vehicles while lying in traffic, but no other drivers stayed at the scene, the highway patrol said. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.
Anyone who saw what happened or who might have information on other vehicles and drivers involved is asked to contact the California Highway Patrol Solano Office.
Two personnel from the Solano office had a close encounter with a similar car last week, when a Tesla whose driver was asleep at the wheel struck their patrol car from behind. The two officers were briefly hospitalized for their injuries.
Addressing the incident on social media, the California Highway Patrol said in a video that “despite its name, full self driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles.”
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