Tesla Driver Was Allegedly Asleep At Wheel When He Drove Through Crash Scene, Injuring CHP Officers

A California motorist was allegedly asleep behind the wheel of his Tesla when he drove through a crash scene at full speed, seriously injuring two California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers.

Officers from the CHP Solano area office responded at around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to the scene of a deadly crash on eastbound Interstate 80 west of Air Base Parkway. A 19-year-old San Pablo man driving a 2007 Honda Civic lost control for unknown reasons and was struck by a 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by a 47-year-old Sacramento man.

The Civic driver was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators say alcohol was not a factor, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Still at the scene of that crash, at around 11:46 p.m., four CHP officers were using three CHP patrol vehicles with their emergency lights activated to close the scene. Four lanes were closed to traffic, and motorists were being diverted into the slow lane.

While two of the CHP officers were seated inside a patrol vehicle, a Tesla driven by a 22-year-old Sacramento man drove through the flares and cones marking the scene and struck the CHP vehicle.

Both officers inside sustained serious injuries. They were transported to Northbay Hospital in Fairfield and were later released. The Tesla driver sustained minor injuries.

The CHP’s Golden Gate Division Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team responded to investigate.

In an update on Thursday, CHP said the driver “claimed he was asleep and that the vehicle was operating in Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode at the time of the crash.”

CHP did not immediately release the identity of the driver or indicate whether charges would be filed. The agency did, however, warn motorists not to misunderstand the Tesla feature.

“Despite its name, Full Self-Driving is not fully autonomous. It is an SAE Level 2 driver assistance system that requires continuous driver supervision,” CHP said.

“Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles,” the agency added. “Distracted and inattentive driving can have devastating consequences.”