Tesla Full Self-Driving incidents in California

A series of incidents involving Tesla vehicles operating in ‘Full Self-Driving’ (FSD) mode occurred on Interstate 80 in California in October 2026.

On October 13, a Tesla struck a California Highway Patrol vehicle near Fairfield while officers were investigating a separate accident. The driver reported being asleep while the vehicle was in FSD mode. The collision seriously injured two officers, though they were later released from the hospital.

On October 16, a separate incident in Solano County resulted in the death of a 71-year-old pedestrian. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Tesla was traveling at approximately 70 mph in FSD mode when the pedestrian entered the roadway. Although the driver attempted to brake and swerve, the vehicle struck the man, who was subsequently hit by another vehicle. Investigators are reviewing footage to determine if driver negligence occurred.

On October 22, a 26-year-old driver from San Francisco reported that the FSD system was engaged during a fatal collision near Vallejo. Dash-camera footage shows the Tesla applying brakes and steering left to avoid a 71-year-old pedestrian walking from the right shoulder toward the center divider, but the front-right of the vehicle still struck the individual. The victim was subsequently struck by at least one other vehicle in the roadway. While the Tesla driver cooperated with the California Highway Patrol, other motorists involved did not remain at the scene. Tesla has noted that its FSD technology is a ‘supervised driver-assistance system’ requiring drivers to remain alert.