Sheriff's deputy killed in crash with Tesla commuter bus

TRACY, Calif. -- An early morning collision Friday between a bus carrying 55 Tesla employees and a Volkswagen Beetle left an off-duty Alameda County Sheriff's deputy dead and eastbound traffic on Interstate 580 backed up for miles, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said the collision took place just after 7 a.m. on eastbound I-580 at Grant Line Rd. near Altamont Pass, CBS San Francisco reports.

Helicopter video of the scene showed a Volkswagen with its back end sheered off and damage to the front of the bus.

The CHP said the Volkswagen driver died in the accident and there were no injuries among the Tesla employees being transported to Stockton, California.

The bus driver has told CHP investigators the early morning sun was in his eyes as he traveled eastward on the highway and he did not see the car prior to the collision.

Authorities said the fatality in the crash was a law enforcement officer, but could not release the name of his agency.

The crash remains under investigation and the bus driver was cooperating with authorities. Another bus was brought in to transport the employees to Stockton.

Three lanes of the highway have been blocked with no estimated time for them to reopen.