By Ado Oyeyemi
A 71-year-old man has died after being struck by a car operating in Full Self-Driving mode while attempting to cross a freeway in California, United States.
The fatal crash occurred at about 2:35 am on Thursday along the westbound Interstate 80 near the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo, according to a report by the New York Post.
The vehicle was travelling at approximately 70 miles per hour when the man reportedly entered the freeway from the right shoulder and attempted to cross towards the central divider.
The 26-year-old driver, who is from San Francisco,, told the California Highway Patrol that the car was operating in Full Self-Driving mode when it hit the pedestrian.
A preliminary review of the vehicle’s dashboard camera footage indicated that the car attempted to avoid the man before the collision.
The California Highway Patrol said the footage showed the vehicle braking and steering to the left in an attempt to prevent the crash, but the manoeuvre failed to avert the impact.
“The video showed the [vehicle’s] brakes being applied as the vehicle steered to the left in an effort to avoid the pedestrian.
Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the [vehicle] struck the individual,” the agency said.
The victim was reportedly struck by at least one other vehicle while lying on the freeway following the initial collision.
The other motorists involved allegedly failed to stop after the incident, leaving their identities unknown as of the time of the report.
The 26-year-old driver remained at the scene, cooperated with investigators and handed over the dashboard camera footage to the authorities.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and has appealed to witnesses and anyone with information about the other vehicles to assist with the investigation.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of driver-assistance technology, particularly the risks associated with relying on automated driving features.
Earlier this month, another crash on Interstate 80 reportedly occurred after a driver fell asleep while using Full Self-Driving mode and collided with a highway patrol vehicle, leaving two officers injured.
Following the incidents, the California Highway Patrol warned motorists against treating the technology as a replacement for attentive driving.,1
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“Despite the name, FSD is not fully autonomous driving. Even when using the technology, the responsibility for safely operating the vehicle does not leave the driver,” the agency said.
