The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a preliminary report on the fatal crash involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E and a Honda CR-V in San Antonio, Texas, on February 24, 2024. The Mustang Mach-E was equipped with the BlueCruise active driving assistance system at the time of the collision, resulting in the death of the CR-V’s driver. According to San Antonio police, the all-electric crossover had “partial automation” engaged during the incident, and a witness traveling in front of the Mach-E observed that she manually changed lanes to avoid hitting the stationary Honda.
The witness also saw another vehicle hit the CR-V from her rearview mirror. Additionally, the NTSB is investigating another crash involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E in Philadelphia, where the vehicle struck two stationary cars on the I-95 interstate, resulting in two fatalities. The NTSB is collaborating with the Pennsylvania State Police on this investigation, and Ford has reported the incident to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), stating that they are working to gather all pertinent information.
Ford’s BlueCruise active driving assistance system has come under scrutiny, similar to Tesla’s Autopilot system. Tesla has faced criticism and investigations by the NTSB and NHTSA, which led to a “recall” of over 2 million vehicles through an over-the-air software update last December. Ford has stated that BlueCruise is designed to work on 97% of US and Canadian highways without intersections or traffic lights.
The NTSB continues to investigate both crashes and is gathering information from multiple sources.