Tesla Driver Asleep on Autopilot Crashes Into Highway Patrol Vehicle, Injuring Two

A Tesla driver who stated he was asleep while using driver-assist mode crashed into the back of a parked California Highway Patrol vehicle on I-80. Video footage released by the CHP shows the vehicle speeding past flares, cones, and emergency lights at the scene of an earlier accident prior to the collision. Two CHP officers sustained serious injuries in the crash and were transported to a hospital. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) previously launched an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot software in 2021 following multiple collisions with parked emergency vehicles. Despite a 2023 software update intended to add more controls and alerts, NHTSA has opened a subsequent investigation into whether those changes adequately ensure driver engagement. “Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles.” — California Highway Patrol.