WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – A Tesla driver was killed, and a passenger was critically injured when the car collided with a fire truck parked on a Northern California freeway to protect a crew clearing another accident, according to fire officials.
According to Tracie Dutter, assistant chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, four firefighters in the truck who were hit on Interstate 680 received minor injuries.
Dutter stated that the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The car had to be cut open to extract the passenger, who was taken to the hospital.
The car’s front end was crushed, and the $1.4 million ladder truck was damaged, according to photos.
Officer Adam Lane of the California Highway Patrol said it was unclear whether the driver was intoxicated or whether the Tesla Model S was equipped with automation or driving assistance features.
Tesla is Creating A Safer Experience For Its Future Users
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to parked emergency vehicles on highways. While using the system, at least 14 Teslas collided with emergency vehicles.
Dutter stated that the truck had its lights on and was parked diagonally on the freeway’s northbound lanes to protect responders from an earlier accident that did not result in injuries.
The fatal accident happened around 4 a.m. clearing the freeway took several hours. The firetruck was towed away.
Tesla recalled nearly 363,000 Model S vehicles on Thursday due to potential flaws in its “Full Self-Driving” system. While the recall is intended to address potential issues at intersections and with speed limits, it comes as part of a larger investigation into Tesla’s automated driving systems by US safety regulators.
SOURCE – (AP)
