A Tesla, in self-driving mode, crashed into a parked police patrol vehicle that had responded to a fatal crash in Orange County according to police. The officer had instituted traffic control and was blocking Orangethorpe Avenue in Fullerton to allow traffic investigators a protected area to investigate a suspected DUI crash. The suspected DUI driver hit and killed the motorcyclist around 9 p.m.
A Fullerton Police Department spokesperson reported the officer was standing outside his vehicle near midnight when he saw a Tesla driving in his direction. The Tesla did not appear to be slowing down. The officer was able to jump out of the way as the Tesla slammed into the police car. The impact of the collision caused patrol vehicle to spin around causing major damage to its front end. Thankfully, the officer was not injured in the incident.
The police department spokesperson said the Tesla was suspected to be in self-drive mode at the time of the crash. The driver later admitted to being on a cellphone at the time of the crash. On the Tesla website, Tesla said its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) mode “does not make your vehicle autonomous” and drivers “must use additional caution and remain attentive.” It was unclear if the driver would be cited. The motorist involved in the earlier fatal collision was arrested on suspicion of DUI and driving without a license. The motorcycle rider killed in the crash was not identified but was described as an adult male. Investigators said the rider was stopped at a red light when he was struck by the suspected DUI driver.
In this one incident, these laws were potentially violated;
- Driving without a license.
- Suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
- Driving in self-driving mode without maintaining control.
- Texting and driving.
- Vehicular homicide.
Crash scenes like this are extraordinary complex with many factors to be considered. Sadly, the family of the deceased motorcycle rider are the ones that must grieve and work toward justice for their loss. Wrongful death cases are some of the most heartbreaking cases we encounter. We pray for the family and the life of the cyclist.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We would be honored to represent you!
