VALLEJO, California — A 71-year-old man from Vallejo was killed early on Thursday, October 22, after he was struck on westbound Interstate 80 near the Interstate 780 interchange in Solano County, first by a Tesla and then by at least one other vehicle, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in reporting published by Focal News on October 23 and by KION Central Coast on October 22. CHP has not released the man's name.
Source: Focal News (CHP account), Oct. 23, 2026
The crash happened shortly after 2:30 a.m. The Tesla, driven by a 26-year-old man from San Francisco, was travelling at about 70 mph, CHP said. The agency said the car's dash camera recorded the pedestrian walking from the right shoulder onto the freeway and crossing toward the center divide, and that he stepped directly into the path of the Tesla. Footage reviewed by officers showed the car braking and steering left, but its right side struck him, CHP said.
Source: Focal News (CHP account), Oct. 23, 2026
The pedestrian was lying in the traffic lanes after that collision and was hit by another vehicle, CHP said. That driver did not stop and has not been identified. The Tesla driver remained at the scene, was cooperative, shared the dash-camera video with officers and was not cited, CHP spokesperson Scott Heitman said, as reported by Focal News. KION, reporting the same CHP account, likewise said no other vehicles stopped at the scene and CHP has no description of the other vehicles or drivers.
Source: KION Central Coast (CHP account), Oct. 22, 2026
On the technology question, the accounts attribute the self-driving claim to the driver and to CHP's description of the car's mode: the driver told officers the vehicle was in Full Self-Driving mode at the time of the crash, KION reported, and Focal News reported that CHP described the Tesla as being in self-driving mode. Neither report said investigators had independently verified the mode from vehicle data, and no finding on fault has been announced. CHP is investigating both collisions and asked anyone with information about the Tesla or the second vehicle to call its Solano office at 707-639-5600.