How Ford's self-driving tech led to 2 fatal crashes
In 2024, Ford's BlueCruise hands-free driving system was involved in two fatal crashes that killed three people.
In the first incident, a 44-year-old driver in San Antonio crashed into a stationary Honda CR-V while distracted by his car's infotainment screen, tragically killing the other driver.
The second crash happened in Philadelphia when a 23-year-old intoxicated driver hit a stopped Hyundai Elantra on the left side of the road at high speed, resulting in two more deaths.
Both cases revealed neither the drivers nor their vehicles had braked before impact.
Investigations and legal proceedings
Investigations are ongoing. The Philadelphia driver has been charged with DUI homicide and is awaiting trial, while the San Antonio driver declined to speak to investigators.
The NTSB is set to hold a hearing on March 31, 2026, to discuss what went wrong and what changes Ford should make.
Meanwhile, federal safety officials are looking into more than 129,000 Mach-E vehicles after multiple crashes involving stationary cars.