{"id":12023,"date":"2026-07-20T23:54:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T18:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=12023"},"modified":"2026-07-20T23:54:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T18:54:38","slug":"shocking-picture-shows-uber-driver-allegedly-sleeping-behind-the-wheel-on-three-major-ca-freeways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=12023","title":{"rendered":"Shocking picture shows Uber driver allegedly sleeping behind the wheel on three major CA freeways"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F07%2Forange-county-uber-customer-captured-135020879.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A California Uber passenger captured the alarming moment his <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/27\/us-news\/drunk-driver-found-asleep-in-tesla-using-autopilot\/\">driver allegedly appeared to nod off<\/a> behind the wheel of a Tesla as it traveled across three major freeways in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n<p>Cellphone footage from the July 6 ride shows the driver with his hands apparently off the steering wheel as <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2019\/09\/09\/tesla-driver-apparently-caught-sleeping-at-the-wheel-going-60-mph\/\">his head droops forward and backward<\/a> while the car was reportedly in Full Self-Driving mode.<\/p>\n<p>The passenger told <a href=\"https:\/\/ktla.com\/news\/california\/tesla-driver-asleep-full-self-driving-uber-oc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KTLA<\/a> that he was traveling from Yorba Linda to Santa Ana when the unnerving incident unfolded shortly after 3:30 a.m.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Footage from the ride shows the driver with his hands apparently off the steering wheel as his head droops backward. <span class=\"credit\">KTLA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Cali - Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia&#8217;s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>During the trip, the Tesla traveled on the 91 Freeway before continuing onto the 57 and 5 freeways, the passenger notes. <span class=\"credit\">KTLA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>During the trip, the Tesla traveled along the 91 Freeway before continuing onto the 57 and 5 freeways, according to the passenger.<\/p>\n<p>Video captured from inside the car <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/02\/10\/another-video-shows-tesla-driver-sleeping-behind-the-wheel\/\">appears to show the driver\u2019s eyes closed<\/a> at points as his head repeatedly bobs while the vehicle continues down the road.<\/p>\n<p>At one point, the passenger attempts to check on the drowsy driver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou good, man?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n<p>The driver appears to stir but does not respond to the question in the footage.<\/p>\n<p>The passenger later contacted Uber about the ride and said the company apologized but told him the trip was not eligible for a refund despite his concerns that the situation had been unsafe, according to KTLA.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Video captured from inside the car appears to show the driver\u2019s eyes closed while the vehicle continues down the road. <span class=\"credit\">KTLA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The episode comes amid other reports of Tesla drivers apparently <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/28\/us-news\/driver-passed-out-as-self-driving-car-kept-moving\/\">falling asleep while their vehicles were operating<\/a> with driver-assistance technology.<\/p>\n<p>Another Orange County rideshare passenger recently captured footage of an Uber driver who appeared to be asleep during a trip to Costa Mesa.<\/p>\n<p>Witnesses have also recorded an apparently napping Tesla driver traveling in the southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway near Camp Pendleton.<\/p>\n<p>In April, a drunk Florida woman was found asleep in her Tesla on a highway after trying to get it to drive her home on autopilot.<\/p>\n<p>Police said the Tesla\u2019s eye detection feature \u2014 which switches off when anyone using autopilot has their eyes closed for too long \u2014 was to thank for stopping her dangerous ride.<\/p>\n<p>The company warns that drivers using Full Self-Driving must remain attentive and prepared to take control of their vehicles at any moment.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our 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\/><strong>Home delivery<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/subscribe.californiapost.com\/defaultCAP\">Sign up here!<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/california-post\/id6751343487\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/><\/a><strong>Page Six Hollywood<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/hollywood-signup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sign up here!<\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A California Uber passenger captured the alarming moment his driver allegedly appeared to nod off behind the wheel of a Tesla as it traveled across three major freeways in the middle of the night. Cellphone footage from the July 6 ride shows the driver with his hands apparently off the steering wheel as his head&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/orange-county-uber-customer-captured-135020879.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12023\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}