{"id":8029,"date":"2026-09-03T22:06:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:06:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=8029"},"modified":"2026-09-03T22:06:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:06:24","slug":"tesla-on-autopilot-halts-on-busy-highway-before-giant-f-350-truck-rear-ends-and-kills-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=8029","title":{"rendered":"Tesla on autopilot halts on busy highway before giant F-350 truck rear-ends and kills driver"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A Tesla fatally rear-ended by a pickup truck in a late-night crash on an Arizona highway had stopped dead in the middle of the road while operating on its controversial \u201cself-driving\u201d mode, new filings show.<\/p>\n

Read more Ex-Jets QB Mark Sanchez to plead guilty in 2025 attack on grease truck driver that left him badly injured<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2020 Tesla Model 3 was traveling on the eastbound Loop 202 in Mesa around 3 a.m.\u00a0on October 31, 2025 when it inexplicably came to a halt on the freeway.<\/p>\n

The electric car was slammed into from behind by a massive Ford F-350 pickup truck and the Tesla driver died at the scene, Arizona\u2019s Family (KPHO\/KTVK) and 12News had reported at the time of the crash.<\/p>\n

Initial local reports omitted any mention of automated tech but redacted filings submitted by Tesla to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed the technical glitch that took the driver\u2019s life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Electrek, the crash report confirmed that an automated driving system, either Tesla\u2019s standard Autopilot or its pricey \u201cFull Self-Driving\u201d (FSD) software, was \u201cverified engaged\u201d during the lethal collision. The car\u2019s pre-crash movement was also listed as \u201cstopped \u2013 0 mph.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few weeks ago, another Model 3 running on Tesla\u2019s driver-assist software had stopped in the middle of a Florida highway before a fatal rear-end smash that killed the driver, the news outlet reported.<\/p>\n

Read more Dianna Russini has strong response to The Athletic\u2019s investigation into alleged \u2018noncompliant\u2019 affair<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Tesla holds all the critical data from a vehicle, including video, telematics and the event-data recorder, which could easily explain why the car stopped. <\/p>\n

However, the company redacted the three key fields that would provide answers: the crash narrative, the software version, and whether the vehicle was within its approved operating area, Electrek reported.\u00a0Tesla labeled this data \u201cconfidential business information,\u201d a tactic that the company applies to 99.9% of its crash reports.<\/p>\n

Tesla has long been plagued by \u201cphantom braking\u201d glitch where its vehicles slam on the brakes for non-existent obstacles. The NHTSA had officially opened its preliminary investigation into Tesla\u2019s \u201cphantom braking\u201d on February 16, 2022 after a surge in consumer complaints of rapid deceleration at highway speeds while using Autopilot or adaptive cruise control. <\/p>\n

The four-year probe came to a close in July 2026 after the agency noted sharp drop-off in incident reports and finding no underlying mechanical brake defect or unreasonable collision risk<\/p>\n

Read more Lindsay Clancy\u2019s lawyer irate as he fights for juror to be removed<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Tesla operating in self-driving mode stopped on an Arizona highway before a pickup truck rear-ended it, killing the driver as new filings show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nTesla on autopilot halts on busy highway before giant F-350 truck rear-ends and kills driver - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=8029\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tesla on autopilot halts on busy highway before giant F-350 truck rear-ends and kills driver - 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