WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — A Tesla driver was killed and a passenger was seriously injured Saturday when the car crashed into a fire truck that was parked on a Northern California freeway to protect a crew putting out another crash, fire officials said.
Four firefighters who were in the truck when it was struck on Interstate 680 were treated for minor injuries, said Tracie Dutter, deputy chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, Dutter said. The car had to be cut open to remove the passenger, who was taken to hospital.
Photos showed the front end of the car was crushed and the $1.4 million ladder truck was damaged.
California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Lane said it was unclear whether the driver may have been intoxicated or whether the Tesla Model S was operating with automation or driver assistance features.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways. At least 14 Teslas have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the system.
Dutter said the truck had its lights on and was parked diagonally across the freeway’s northbound lanes to protect those responsible from an earlier accident that did not result in injuries.
The fatal crash happened around 4 a.m. and it took several hours to clear the highway. The fire truck had to be towed.
The Model S was among nearly 363,000 vehicles recalled by Tesla on Thursday due to possible defects in its “Full Self-Driving” system. While the recall is aimed at correcting potential problems at intersections and with speed limits, it comes amid a broader investigation by US safety regulators into Tesla’s self-driving systems.
