Tesla crashes into a fire truck.

Walnut Creek (California) - Serious accident in Northern California: On Saturday, a Tesla driver died after crashing his car into a fire truck. His passenger was seriously injured.

The fatal accident occurred around 4 a.m. (local time). According to fire officials, the fire truck had been parked on a freeway in Northern California while recovering from another accident. The fire truck had its lights on and was parked at an angle on the roadway to protect responders from the other accident.

The Tesla driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger had to be cut out of the car and was taken to a hospital. Four firefighters who were in the fire truck were treated for minor injuries.

It took several hours before the highway was passable again. Finally, the fire truck had to be towed away.

Adam Lane of the Highway Patrol said it was unclear whether the Tesla driver was intoxicated at the crash or whether the Tesla Model S was operating with automation or driverassist features.

The U.S. Federal Highway and Vehicle Safety Administration is taking a hard look at Tesla’s automated driving systems in an extensive investigation. It examines how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways. At least 14 Teslas have collided with emergency vehicles while using the system.

The Model S was among nearly 363,000 vehicles Tesla recalled Thursday over possible flaws in its “Full Self-Driving” system. The recall aims to fix potential problems at intersections and with speed limits.