A 71-year-old pedestrian has died after being struck by a Tesla operating in Full Self-Driving mode while crossing Interstate 80 in Solano County, California, early Thursday morning. ​The fatal collision occurred around 2:30 a.m. on October 22, 2026, near the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo.
The pedestrian stepped onto the highway from the right shoulder directly into the path of the westbound Tesla, which was traveling at approximately 70 mph. ​The driver, a 26-year-old San Francisco resident, informed law enforcement that Tesla’s semi-autonomous driver-assistance software was active at the time of impact.
Onboard dashcam footage submitted to investigators showed the vehicle attempting to brake and swerve left to avoid the collision, but the front-right portion of the car struck the victim. Following the initial impact, the man fell into an active lane of traffic where he was struck by at least one additional vehicle before emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
​California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Scott Heitman confirmed that the driver remained at the scene, fully cooperated with officers, and handed over dashcam telemetry for forensic review. Officer Heitman noted that while the driver was not immediately cited, prosecutors could pursue charges through the district attorney’s office if the investigation reveals driver negligence.
None of the subsequent drivers involved in the secondary impacts stopped, leading the CHP Solano Area office to appeal for witnesses or individuals with relevant information to come forward as investigators work to determine why the pedestrian was on the freeway overnight.
