Model S was in Autopilot mode during the fatal fire truck crash, according to Tesla

Photo Credit: USA Today A Tesla confirmation has been added to the list of circumstances in which the electric car's driver-assist features, such as Autopilot, may have been in use at the time of the crash. The fatal fire truck incident is now one of those circumstances. First responders had to cut the EV to remove it from underneath the damaged fire truck following the fatal midnight collision that claimed the life of the Model S driver. In accordance with all orders, a ladder truck from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District was stationed on the northbound highway lanes in February so that emergency personnel could work on accidents away from approaching traffic. Due to the frequent accidents involving motorists who fail to see the large trucks despite their bright lights, the fire truck was parked diagonally to serve as a safety barrier for the firemen. Photo Credit: Fox News Around 4 AM, a Tesla Model S struck it while traveling at high speed, pinning itself underneath the fire truck, killing the driver and seriously hurting the passenger. The firefighters had to be treated for minor wounds while the Tesla had to be cut out from beneath the fire truck and towed for repairs. When the collision occurred, the NHTSA sent out investigators to determine whether they should add the occurrence to a growing list of collisions using driver-assist technology like Tesla's Autopilot. According to Bloomberg's sources, Tesla has now acknowledged that its driver-assist technology was in use during the fire truck accident in February, bringing the total number of such occurrences since the NHTSA began its investigation in 2021 to 17. Among them are first aid vehicles that Teslas were unable to effectively avoid despite all the warning signs and lights, which were parked on the highway or in the emergency lanes. Faced with a driver-assist software recall, Tesla recently revised the terminology used to describe such functions to emphasize more strongly that they demand the driver's constant attention and will remain at Level 2 of autonomous driving for the foreseeable future. Also Read: Tesla: Autopilot Engineer Claims 2016 Self-Driving Video is Fake and Was Edited According to Elon Musk's promises, this infuriated some owners of the paid Full Self-Driving Beta option who were left with the impression that Tesla may soon achieve higher levels of autonomy. However, the NHTSA investigation and compliance with federal regulations may have forced Tesla's hand when it comes to the legalese.