Driver dies after ramming into firetruck
The driver of a Tesla died after crashing into a Contra Costa County fire engine, officials said.
The crash occurred around 3:54 a.m. Saturday on northbound Interstate 680, south of Treat Boulevard in Walnut Creek, when the Tesla Model S failed to slow down and rammed into the back of the engine, according to the California Highway Patrol. The engine had been stopped to protect firefighters and divert traffic after responding to a previous crash around 3:34 a.m.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger of the Tesla was extracted and transported to a local hospital with major injuries, according to fire officials. No identifications were released.
Authorities said four firefighters were also taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons after being impacted inside the truck during the crash.
Officials said the crash is under investigation, and they were unable to determine at the scene whether drugs, alcohol or driver assistance and automation in the Tesla played a role in the collision.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that more than 362,000 Teslas with full self-driving software are being recalled after the release of footage of a crash on the Bay Bridge allegedly caused by a self-driving Tesla.
The recall was part of an investigation into Tesla’s automated driving systems, partially prompted by footage of a Thanksgiving Day crash on the Bay Bridge. The video showed a Tesla stalling out in the eastbound Yerba Buena Tunnel and causing a pileup of at least five cars.