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NTSB Sets March 31 Hearing on Ford BlueCruise Fatal Crashes as New Files Cite Likely Driver Distraction

New NTSB documents spotlight driver distraction alongside an absence of any braking before impact.

The blue Ford oval logo is displayed on the new Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S. November 16, 2025. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on the January 29, 2025, midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 12, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
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Overview

  • In separate 2024 crashes in San Antonio and Philadelphia, 2022 Mustang Mach-Es in BlueCruise mode struck stationary vehicles at highway speeds, killing three people across both incidents.
  • In the Texas case, the driver-monitoring system logged the driver looking at the center screen for most of the final five seconds and issuing two look-forward alerts, with no braking recorded.
  • In the Philadelphia case, the monitoring system registered the driver’s eyes on-road, yet a photo two seconds before impact appears to show a phone held above the wheel; police charged the driver with DUI homicide and the case remains pending.
  • The NTSB says no driver-applied or system-initiated braking or steering occurred just before either crash and will vote on safety recommendations at the March 31 hearing.
  • NHTSA’s engineering analysis of BlueCruise remains active, while Ford calls the feature a driver convenience system and notes widespread use, and the NTSB records describe Ford’s view of current AEB limits for detecting stationary targets.