A self-driving Tesla car hit a police vehicle in California / Two officers were injured

A Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving mode rear-ended a California Highway Patrol vehicle on Tuesday evening in Solano County. Two officers inside the vehicle were injured in the crash and taken to hospital, but they were later discharged.

The accident occurred on a highway in the city of Fairfield, where officers had closed several lanes to respond to another incident. The police vehicle was positioned in one of the lanes closed to traffic, with its emergency lights activated.

Dashboard camera footage released by the California Highway Patrol shows the Tesla traveling at speed and violently striking the police car. According to authorities, the driver, a 22-year-old man from Sacramento, failed to observe the emergency lights, road markings, and warning devices placed on the roadway.

After the crash, the man reportedly told officers that he had been sleeping and was using the vehicle’s driver-assistance technology. He was not injured. Police reiterated that the Full Self-Driving feature does not eliminate the driver’s responsibility to remain attentive and drive safely.