An Army veteran with more than 40,000 miles of experience using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature, Brown described the close call as rattling. “About the time I realized I was moving, the bar is right there, like right in front of me,” he said. “I’d rather somebody shoot at me than be looking at a train 100 feet away.” He added, “I feel blessed. I still have a purpose.”
The incident was captured on the Tesla’s cameras. Tesla took possession of the damaged vehicle for repairs and is investigating the cause. The company released a new version of its Full Self-Driving Supervised software the following day, claiming a 20 percent faster reaction time for improved safety.
No one was hurt and the crossing returned to normal operation. The event adds to broader questions about advanced driver assistance systems at railroad crossings, where federal regulators have examined multiple incidents nationwide. Tesla stresses that its technology requires active driver supervision at all times.
