Fatal Tesla collision with firetruck under federal investigation

Federal auto safety regulators have launched a special crash investigation to determine the cause of a fatal collision involving a Tesla Model S and a fire truck in February 2023. The driver of the Model S died, a passenger was seriously injured and four firefighters were taken to the hospital shortly after the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol and the Contra Costa County Fire Department. The new investigation is part of a broader federal investigation into the safety of Tesla’s Autopilot systems and how they operate around parked, first-responder vehicles.

In this photo provided by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, firefighters are seen at the scene of a fatal accident involving a Tesla and Contra Costa County fire truck on Feb. 18, 2023, in Contra Costa, California.

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

Federal auto safety regulators launched a new, special crash investigation into a fatal collision involving a Tesla Model S sedan and a fire truck in Walnut Creek, California, last month, CNBC has confirmed.

The driver of the Tesla died, a passenger was seriously injured and four firefighters inside the fire were taken to the hospital after the crash, according to reports obtained by CNBC from the California Highway Patrol and the Contra Costa County Fire Department.

The Associated Press first reported on the special investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to fire department records after the Feb. 18 incident, the fire truck was parked in the middle of an interstate freeway to protect other first responders who were towing a disabled vehicle out of the area when the Tesla drove into it. in it.

NHTSA and the CHP have each opened separate investigations into the crash.

The CHP wrote in a statement after the fatal incident, “It is unclear whether the influence of drugs or alcohol is a factor in this crash. It was unable to determine at the scene if the Tesla was being operated with any driver assistance or automation activated at the time of the crash “.

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Both the CHP and NHTSA want to know whether Tesla’s driver assistance systems, which are marketed as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving options in the United States, caused the crash.

All new Tesla vehicles in the US come with a standard driver assistance package called Autopilot. Customers who pay Tesla a $199 monthly subscription fee or $15,000 up front can also get additional driver assistance features as part of a premium package called FSD, which stands for Full Self-Driving. Tesla also allows FSD customers to sign up for FSD Beta, which is a way to test new features that haven’t been fully patched on public roads.

Despite their brand names, Tesla does not produce a driverless vehicle or system. The company warns drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take over steering or braking at any moment.

The crash investigation is part of a broader NHTSA investigation of Tesla’s driver assistance systems and how they work around parked first responder vehicles.

According to records on the agency’s website, NHTSA opened a “preliminary evaluation” of Tesla’s Autopilot systems on August 13, 2021. “The opening of the investigation was motivated by a cluster of accidents in which Tesla vehicles operating with Autopilot engaged , hit stationary at — Roadside or roadside first response vehicles tending to pre-existing crash scenes,” he said.

According to the NHTSA report, at least 14 Teslas have collided with first responder vehicles while using the Autopilot system.

NHTSA expanded the investigation to an “engineering analysis” in the spring of 2022 to determine whether Tesla’s systems could “exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety hazards by impairing the effectiveness of driver supervision.”

In simple terms, NHTSA is trying to determine whether Tesla’s Autopilot, FSD and other driver assistance features cause drivers to be so distracted from the road that they would drive safer without them.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. NHTSA does not comment on open investigations.