Self-driving car kills 71-year-old man in US

Self-driving car. Photo: Web

A 71-year-old man has been killed after being struck by a self-driving car while crossing a freeway in California, United States, the New York Post has reported.

The incident occurred around 2:35 am on Thursday on westbound Interstate 80 near the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo, California.

According to the newspaper, the vehicle was travelling at about 70 miles per hour when the man entered the freeway from the right shoulder and began crossing towards the central divider.

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

The highway patrol said its preliminary review of the vehicle’s dashboard camera footage showed the car attempting to avoid the man before hitting him.

“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 after the initial collision.

However, the other motorists involved did not stop at the scene, and their identities remain unknown.

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

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

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

In that incident, 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 cautioned 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.