Tesla Model S 'FSD malfunction' causes eight-vehicle pile-up

A Tesla Model S car has been involved in an eight-vehicle crash in a tunnel of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, injuring nine people, including a 2-year-old child. The crash blocked traffic on the bridge for over an hour. 

The driver told California authorities the vehicle was in 'full self-driving mode' (FSD) when the technology malfunctioned. According to the incident report, the car was traveling at 55mph when it shifted lane but braked abruptly, slowing to about 20mph, leading another vehicle to hit the Tesla and a chain reaction of crashes. 

In January 2023, The Intercept published video, photographs and the incident report of the crash through a California Public Records Act request. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) subsequently announced that a special crash investigation team would examine the incident. 

The crash took place shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the car manufacturer would make FSD software available to anyone in North America who asked for it. It had previously only offered the system only to drivers with high safety scores.