Self-Driving Car Kills 71-Year-Old Man on California Freeway

Self-Driving Car Kills 71-Year-Old Man on California Freeway

A 71-year-old man has died after a vehicle operating in full self-driving mode struck him while he was crossing Interstate 80 in Vallejo, California, United States.

The fatal incident happened around 2:35 a.m. on Thursday along the freeway’s westbound lanes. Officers from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) arrived and found the pedestrian with injuries that proved fatal.

The vehicle was driven by a 26-year-old man from San Francisco, who told investigators that the car’s full self-driving system was active when the collision occurred.

According to the CHP, the driver stayed at the scene, cooperated with officers and handed over footage recorded by the vehicle’s dashboard camera to assist the investigation.

An initial examination of the recording showed the car travelling at approximately 70 miles per hour in the second lane when the pedestrian entered the freeway from the right shoulder and headed towards the central divider.

The footage reportedly captured the vehicle braking while the driver attempted to steer left to avoid hitting the man.

“Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the car struck the individual,” the CHP said.

Investigators suspect the pedestrian was hit by at least one other vehicle after the initial collision, while he was lying on the roadway. The drivers of those vehicles reportedly continued driving without stopping.

Authorities have not identified the other vehicles or their drivers, making it difficult to establish the full circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

The CHP’s Solano office is investigating the incident and has appealed to members of the public who witnessed the collision or have information about the other vehicles involved to come forward.