In a confluence of technology's promise and human negligence, a Tesla in self-driving mode collided with a Fullerton police cruiser while responding to a distinct, tragic scene; an officer was investigating a fatal motorcycle crash purportedly caused by a DUI driver, according to KTLA.

The Fullerton Police Department revealed the patrol vehicle, positioned for traffic control on Orangethorpe Avenue, was struck around midnight by the Tesla, spinning it and causing substantial damage, the police officer had been outside the car, but he managed to evade harm, jumping clear as the Tesla continued its unfortunate trajectory without slowing down, the spokesperson clarified the vehicle was in autonomous mode and the driver was occupied with a cellphone at the moment of the crash; it remains uncertain if the driver will face citations, as per KTLA.

Details given to KABC indicate that the Fullerton accident took place near Gilbert Street and Orangethorpe Avenue, and while the officer escaped unscathed, the same could not be said about the adult male motorcyclist involved in the initial accident he was investigating, who succumbed to injuries following the collision with a driver now arrested for DUI and driving without a valid license.

Investigations into both crashes persist, with authorities dissecting the troubling incidents not only to dispense justice but to understand the interplay between human drivers and the emergent self-driving technology that commands the Tesla this complex intersection of human error and artificial intelligence raises important questions about safety and responsibility on our roads, and the events serve as a somber reminder of the perils that can arise, the police told ABC7.