Tesla driver using FSD crashed into highway patrol cars, injuring two officers

Incident Details

A Tesla driver crashed into parked California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicles on I-80, injuring two officers. The driver stated he was asleep and using Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature at the time of the collision. Video footage shows the Tesla passing emergency flares, cones, and lights before impacting a patrol car.

Officer Injuries

Two CHP officers sustained serious injuries in the accident and were transported to a hospital. The crash occurred while officers were responding to an earlier incident on the interstate.

Regulatory Scrutiny of Tesla Autopilot

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot software in 2021 following multiple collisions involving parked emergency vehicles. A subsequent report indicated that driver-assist features did not adequately maintain driver engagement, linking them to hundreds of crashes and dozens of fatalities when both the system and driver failed to react.

Tesla released an Autopilot update in 2023, adding controls and alerts to prompt drivers to maintain control when Autosteer is active. However, NHTSA initiated another investigation to assess the sufficiency of these changes.

CHP Warning

The California Highway Patrol issued a warning emphasizing that "Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous." The agency reiterated that technology does not absolve drivers of their responsibility to operate vehicles safely.