The crash happened around 2:34 a.m. on Oct. 22 on westbound I-80 near the Interstate 780 interchange, according to the California Highway Patrol. When emergency crews arrived, the man had fatal injuries. The Solano County Coroner’s Office later identified him as Domingo Gonzales.

The Tesla’s driver, a 26-year-old man from San Francisco, stayed at the scene and cooperated with officers. He also gave investigators the dash cam video of the collision.

According to the CHP, the video shows the Tesla going about 70 mph in the second lane from the left. The man walked onto the freeway from the right shoulder and headed toward the center divider, stepping directly into the car’s path. The footage shows the Tesla braking and steering left to avoid him, but the right front of the car still hit him.

The crash didn’t end there. Officers believe at least one more vehicle hit the man while he was lying in the roadway. None of those drivers stopped, and none have been identified. The CHP is asking anyone with information about the crash or the other vehicles to contact its Solano Area office.

The Tesla driver was not cited at the scene. CHP officials said the Solano County District Attorney’s Office could still file charges if the investigation finds the driver was in any way responsible.

Despite the name, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system does not make the car fully autonomous. Tesla now sells it as Full Self-Driving (Supervised), and federal regulators classify it as a Level 2 driver-assistance feature. That means a human has to watch the road and be ready to take over at all times. Under California law, the person behind the wheel is still responsible for driving safely, even with these features turned on.

It’s also not yet confirmed that the system was engaged. So far, that claim rests on the driver’s statement, and investigators have not released vehicle data that backs it up. Tesla has not publicly commented on the crash.

In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration upgraded its probe of Full Self-Driving to an engineering analysis, the stage that often comes before a recall. That investigation covers about 3.2 million Teslas. It looks at how the software performs in low visibility and whether it warns drivers when its cameras can’t see well.

Whether darkness played a role in Thursday’s crash is one of several questions investigators still have to answer. For now, the case points to a gap many drivers overlook. When software is steering the car and something goes wrong, someone still has to be accountable. In California, that is still the person in the driver’s seat.

If a speeding or inexperienced driver injured you or took the life of someone you love, the independent attorneys in our network can help you figure out who may be responsible and what compensation your family may be owed.

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