DETROIT– The driver of a Ford electric SUV involved in a fatal February crash in Texas was using the company’s partially automated driving system before the wreck, federal investigators said Thursday.
Data from the 2022 Mustang Mach E SUV showed Ford’s “Blue Cruise” driver assistance system was in use before the Feb. 24 crash, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The crash is one of two recent fatal wrecks involving Ford Mustang Mach Es that are being investigated by the NTSB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which often sends teams to investigate incidents involving automated technology.
The NTSB can only make recommendations, but NHTSA has the authority to take action, including seeking recalls due to safety concerns.
In both cases, the Mach Es struck vehicles stopped on highways at night, and neither the driver nor the system could avoid the collisions. Ford says on its website that its propulsion systems do not replace the human driver, who must be ready to take control at any time.
A company spokeswoman declined to comment on the NTSB report Thursday, referring to an earlier statement saying Ford is cooperating with the investigation.
The crash in Texas occurred on Interstate 10 in San Antonio. According to the NTSB report, the Mach E struck the rear of a 1999 Honda CR-V that was in the middle of three lanes of traffic around 9:50 p.m. The 56-year-old driver of the CR-V was killed.
Another driver who was able to avoid the CR-V told investigators that the taillights and hazard lights were not working at the time.
The agency said it plans to make safety recommendations to prevent similar accidents. The company said it opened the investigation because of continued interest in advanced driver assistance systems and how vehicle drivers are interacting with the new technology.
The other crash involving a Mach E killed two people in the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia around 3:20 a.m. on March 3.
Pennsylvania State Police said Thursday that a Mach E was in the left lane when it struck a stationary Hyundai Elantra that had previously collided with a Toyota Prius.
The Mach E hit the Hyundai and pushed it into the back of the Prius. During the crash, the driver of the Prius, who was outside his vehicle, was also struck and thrown into the southbound lanes, the release said.
According to a police spokeswoman, a person also drove out of the Hyundai onto the roadway and was hit. Both victims, men aged 21 and 20, were pronounced dead at the scene.
A police news release about the crash said a criminal investigation is underway and charges of homicide by motor vehicle while intoxicated are possible against the 23-year-old woman driving the Mach E.
Ford’s Blue Cruise system allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel while controlling steering, braking and acceleration on highways. The company says the system is not fully autonomous and that it monitors drivers to make sure they are paying attention to the road. It operates on 97% of highways in the U.S. and Canada, Ford says.
There are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to the public in the US
Both NHTSA and the NTSB have investigated several previous crashes involving partially automated driving systems, most involving Tesla’s Autopilot. In previous investigations, the NTSB investigated how the system functioned.