Overview
- The crash occurred on eastbound Interstate 80 near Air Base Parkway when a Tesla drove through lanes closed with flares and cones and struck a parked CHP Dodge Charger while officers were on scene.
- Two officers inside the patrol car were seriously injured, were treated in hospital and have since been released, and the Tesla driver sustained only minor injuries.
- The 22‑year‑old driver told investigators he had fallen asleep and that the car was operating in Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving mode at the time, a claim authorities say will be checked against the vehicle’s onboard logs.
- CHP released dashcam footage that shows the Tesla approaching at speed and striking the cruiser, and a spokesperson said there is evidence brakes were applied one to two seconds before impact.
- The incident renews scrutiny of Tesla’s Level‑2 systems because federal regulators opened an Autopilot probe in 2021 and ordered a 2023 recall to add stronger driver‑attention alerts, and investigators say the case could shape questions of driver responsibility and system safeguards.