Tesla driver dead after crashing into parked fire truck in California

Authorities in California are investigating a fatal crash involving a Tesla and a parked emergency vehicle that occurred over the weekend.

The crash occurred around 4 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, in Walnut Creek, California.

A Contra Costa County Fire Protection District truck was at the scene of a previous crash and was blocking I-680 northbound in order to shield first responders from traffic. The truck was parked diagonally across lanes of traffic with lights activated, according to officials.

The driver of a Tesla plowed into the parked fire truck.

The Tesla driver died at the scene.

A passenger in the Tesla suffered critical injuries and had to be extricated from the crashed car.

Four firefighters were also transported to the hospital for evaluation.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating whether the Tesla was in Autopilot mode when the fatal crash occurred. CHP is also investigating whether the Tesla driver was impaired at the time of the crash.

“Slow down and move over when approaching emergency vehicles,” said the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Last week, Tesla recalled 363,000 vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta software due to safety concerns.