A Tesla Cybertruck owner has shared a dramatic account of how the vehicle’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised system potentially saved his life during a sudden medical emergency on a busy freeway. The incident, recounted on the social media platform X, gained significant attention, including a comment from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Medical Emergency on the Freeway
The owner, Rishi Vohra, detailed on X that he experienced a severe medical event while driving. He explained that he had unintentionally fasted for 17 hours, taken medication, and subsequently suffered what he described as a severe allergic reaction.
“What started as a normal drive turned terrifying fast,” Vohra wrote in his post. “My body shut down. I passed out while driving on the freeway, mid-conversation with my wife on the phone.”
At the time of the incident, Vohra stated that his Cybertruck was operating with FSD Supervised engaged. He credits the system with detecting his incapacitation.
FSD Supervised Takes Control
According to Vohra’s account, the Cybertruck’s driver monitoring system identified that he had lost consciousness. The vehicle immediately responded by reducing speed, activating its hazard lights, and safely steering itself to the shoulder of the freeway.
“Thank God my Tesla had Full Self-Driving engaged,” Vohra stated. “It detected I lost consciousness (thanks to the driver monitoring system), immediately slowed, activated hazards, and safely pulled over to the shoulder. No crash. No danger to anyone else on the road.”
Emergency Services Respond
Vohra’s wife, alerted by his sudden silence during their phone call, used the Life360 app to contact emergency services. Responders were able to locate him within five minutes.
Following the initial medical attention, Vohra reported that he was still unwilling to leave his vehicle unattended on the freeway. He stated that the Cybertruck then autonomously drove him the remainder of the way to the nearest emergency room.
“So the Tesla autonomously drove me the rest of the way to the ER. I walked in, got admitted, and they stabilized me overnight,” he explained.
Acknowledgement from Tesla Leadership
In a subsequent update, Vohra announced he was being discharged and expressed his gratitude to Tesla and Elon Musk. Musk responded to the post, writing, “Glad you’re ok! ❤️” The official Tesla X account also amplified Vohra’s story by reposting it with a heart emoji.
Tesla’s Safety Data
This incident occurs as Tesla continues to publish its safety data for vehicles utilizing FSD (Supervised). According to the company’s latest North America figures, vehicles operating with FSD (Supervised) engaged have recorded one major collision for every 5,300,676 miles driven.
This statistic is notably lower than the U.S. average, which reports one major collision every 660,164 miles. The experiences shared by owners like Vohra lend anecdotal support to Tesla’s claims regarding the safety performance of its advanced driver-assistance systems.
The scenario highlights the potential role of advanced driver-assistance systems in mitigating severe outcomes during unexpected driver incapacitation, preventing accidents that could occur if a human driver were to lose control of a vehicle on a busy highway.