According to fire officials, a Tesla slammed into a stationary fire engine stationed on an East Bay road to protect a team performing cleanup after another collision occurred earlier that morning.
That first accident resulted in the killing of the driver and badly injuring a passenger in the vehicle.
One Killed and Five Injured
According to the assistant chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Tracie Dutter, four firemen, who were inside the vehicle as it was hit on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek, were examined for superficial wounds.
They sustained these wounds after being transported to the hospital for check-ups.
According to Dutter, the vehicle operator was pronounced deceased at the site. To get the trapped passenger out of the automobile and to the hospital, the vehicle had to be sliced open by first responders.
Pictures revealed the fire truck, worth $1.4 million, as well as the vehicle’s front end, were both smashed.
Officer Adam Lane of the California Highway Patrol stated it was unclear if the Tesla Model S was automated, equipped with driver assistance capabilities, or if the motorist could have been under the influence of alcohol.
Further investigation into the cause of the accident will surely reveal if the driver or the vehicle is to blame…or both.
TFW you crash into the fire truck that could’ve rescued you from crashing into the fire truck…
1 Dead After Tesla Slams Into Fire Truck on I-680 in Walnut Creek: Officials – NBC Bay Area https://t.co/l4ZSMRdBcS
— Hil.i.am (@hilaryluros) February 19, 2023
The way that Tesla’s Autopilot technology recognizes and reacts to emergency cars sitting on roads is currently being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
While utilizing the technology during testing, a minimum of 14 Teslas have collided with emergency vehicles.
In order to safeguard first responders from a previous incident that had not lead to injuries, the vehicle was stopped diagonally across the northbound sections of the interstate with its headlights on, according to Dutter.
Crash scene photos show to a skilled observer vehicle was driving CENTERED in #2 lane upon impact. 2 pics have my visual aids. Purple the lane markers, circled r the reflective lane markers. Drv's whl was lodged under fire truck. Car shows red paint marks from truck. $TSLAQ $TSLA pic.twitter.com/Z7yuj8YX2T
— Hansbrix (@herrohansbrix) February 19, 2023
At about four in the morning, a deadly collision happened. It took a few hours to clean the freeway. It’s clear that the fire truck will need to be scrapped after the intense damage it sustained during the collision.
For at least four hours during the clean up operation, traffic had to be diverted off of the freeway at the North Main exit.
Are Teslas Safe?
Tesla recalled around 363,000 cars on Thursday, due to possible issues with its “Full Self-Driving” technology, including the Model S.
Whilst the recall is intended to address potential issues with speed restrictions and junctions, it coincides with a wider probe of Tesla’s autonomous driving systems by U.S. regulatory services about health and safety.
While the cause of the accident has not been verified as yet, many are jumping to the conclusion that the Tesla vehicle is to blame for the accident.
Also, they are claiming the self-driving feature is dangerous, dysfunctional, and is largely responsible for the accident.
This article appeared in Conservative Cardinal and has been published here with permission.
