SELF-DRIVING TESLA INVOLVED IN CT HIGHWAY CRASH 'SPONTANEOUSLY VEERED' INTO GUARDRAIL, POLICE SAY

UNION - A Tesla in self-driving mode was involved in a crash on Interstate 84 west in Union over the weekend, according to Connecticut State Police.

The agency said the 2026 Tesla Model 3 was driving straight in the left lane in "auto self drive mode" Sunday when it "spontaneously veered left" into the center median.

The front driver side of the vehicle struck the metal beam guardrail, "causing disabling damage," state police said in a summary of the crash.

The driver, a 47-year-old woman from South Salem, N.Y., was not hospitalized after the crash, according to the report. It said she was not distracted and was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.

The incident was reported around 6:10 p.m. near Exit 73, according to state police.

The report indicated about 10 feet of guardrail was damaged in the crash. The car had to be towed from the scene.

Tesla vehicles have been involved in other crashes and traffic incidents while operating in semi-autonomous driving modes. In 2016, a driver operating a Model S in Autopilot became the first known fatality after the car crashed into an 18-wheeler.

The company currently markets its self-driving tech under three tiers with different capabilities: Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving. The most basic level of Autopilot matches the car's speed to traffic and helps with steering within marked lanes, according to Tesla. The top-tier, Full Self-Driving, is able to respond to stop signs and traffic lights.

The automaker's website notes that all of the modes "require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous."

It was not immediately clear in which driver assistance mode the Tesla involved in Sunday's crash in Union was being operated.

Last year, federal regulators said they were investigating Tesla's reporting of crashes involving its self-driving technology, The Associated Press reported.

A federal jury also found Tesla partly responsible for a 2019 crash that killed a 22-year-old woman in Florida and injured her boyfriend. In that case, a Tesla was operating in Autopilot when it ran through flashing lights and a stop sign, striking the vehicle the couple were in.

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2026-04-15T13:46:25Z