71-year-old man k!lled by self-driving car while crossing California freeway

A 71-year-old man has been k!lled after being struck by a car operating in Full Self-Driving mode while crossing a freeway in California, United States.

The incident occurred at about 2:35 a.m. on Thursday on westbound Interstate 80 near the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo, according to the New York Post.

The newspaper reported that the vehicle was travelling at approximately 70 miles per hour when the man entered the freeway from the right shoulder and began crossing towards the central divider.

The 26-year-old driver, who is from San Francisco, told the California Highway Patrol that the vehicle was operating in Full Self-Driving mode when it struck the pedestrian.

According to the highway patrol, a preliminary review of the vehicle’s dashboard camera footage showed that the car attempted to avoid the man before the collision.

“The video showed the [vehicle’s] brakes being applied as the vehicle steered to the left in an effort to avoid the pedestrian. Despite these evasive actions, the right front portion of the [vehicle] struck the individual,” the agency said.

The man was reportedly struck by at least one other vehicle while lying on the freeway following the initial collision. The motorists involved in the subsequent impact did not stop, and their identities remain unknown.

The 26-year-old driver stayed at the scene, cooperated with investigators and provided the dashboard camera footage to the authorities.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident and has appealed to witnesses and anyone with information about the other vehicles involved to come forward.

The crash comes amid renewed concerns about the safety of driver-assistance technology following another incident on Interstate 80 earlier this month.

In that case, a driver reportedly fell asleep while using Full Self-Driving mode before crashing into a highway patrol vehicle, injuring two officers.

Following the incidents, the California Highway Patrol warned motorists against treating the technology as a substitute for attentive driving.

“Despite the name, FSD is not fully autonomous driving. Even when using the technology, the responsibility for safely operating the vehicle does not leave the driver,” the agency said.