A 71-year-old man has died after being struck by a car operating in Full Self-Driving mode on a California freeway in the United States.

The fatal incident occurred at approximately 2:35 a.m. on Thursday along westbound Interstate 80, close to the Interstate 780 interchange in Vallejo, according to a report by the New York Post.

Preliminary accounts indicate that the man entered the freeway from the right shoulder and attempted to cross towards the central divider as the vehicle approached at an estimated speed of 70 miles per hour.

The 26-year-old driver, a resident of San Francisco, reportedly informed the California Highway Patrol that the vehicle was operating in Full Self-Driving mode when the collision occurred.

A preliminary examination of dashboard camera footage revealed that the vehicle attempted to avoid the pedestrian by braking and swerving to the left. However, the manoeuvre failed to prevent the collision, with the car’s right front section striking the man.

In its account of the footage, the highway patrol said the driver applied the brakes and steered away from the pedestrian in an attempt to avert the impact, but the evasive actions were unsuccessful.

The situation reportedly became more serious after the initial collision, as the man was struck by at least one additional vehicle while lying on the freeway.

The circumstances surrounding the incident highlight the dangers pedestrians face when crossing high-speed highways, particularly in the early hours of the morning. Further details about the investigation and the factors that contributed to the fatal crash were not provided in the initial report.