WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (AP) — A Tesla driver was killed and a passenger was critically injured Saturday when the automotive plowed into a fireplace truck that was parked on a Northern California freeway to defend a crew clearing one other accident, fireplace officers stated.
4 firefighters who had been within the truck when it was struck on Interstate 680 had been handled for minor accidents, stated Tracie Dutter, assistant chief of the Contra Costa County Fireplace Safety District.
The driver was declared useless on the scene, Dutter stated. The automotive wanted to be minimize open to take away the passenger, who was taken to the hospital.
Images confirmed the entrance finish of the automotive was crushed and the $1.4 million ladder truck was broken.
California Freeway Patrol Officer Adam Lane stated it was not clear whether or not the driver could have been intoxicated or whether or not the Tesla Mannequin S was working with automation or driving help options.
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration is investigating how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways. A minimum of 14 Teslas have crashed into emergency automobiles whereas utilizing the system.
Dutter stated the truck had its lights on and was parked diagonally on northbound lanes of the freeway to guard responders to an earlier accident that didn’t lead to accidents.
The deadly accident occurred round 4 a.m., and it took a number of hours to clear the freeway. The firetruck needed to be towed away.
The Mannequin S was among the many almost 363,000 automobiles Tesla recalled on Thursday due to potential flaws in its “Full Self-Driving” system. Whereas the recall is aimed toward correcting potential issues at intersections and with pace limits, it comes amid a broader investigation by U.S. security regulators into Tesla’s automated driving programs.
