Tesla Autopilot Was On in Fatal Missouri Crash — SkimNews
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- Tesla reported to NHTSA that a 2024 Model Y’s driver-assist system was engaged 30 seconds before a fatal crash on I-35 in Daviess County, Missouri, on April 14, 2025, at 3 p.m. local time.
- Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a single-vehicle crash where a 64-year-old Raymore woman died after her Tesla struck a guardrail while traveling at 73 mph in a 70-mph zone.
- Electrek matched Tesla’s redacted NHTSA filing to the Missouri crash using location, vehicle type, fatality status, and timestamp, confirming Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was active pre-impact.
- Tesla redacted key details in its NHTSA report—including software version, system type, and operating domain—citing 'confidential business information,' obscuring whether Autopilot or FSD was in control.
- Electrek notes this crash fits a recurring pattern in Tesla’s ADAS data: vehicles under Level 2 automation drifting off roads, despite both systems being designed to maintain lane position on highways.
Why it matters: The public initially received no indication of Autopilot’s role, while Tesla holds data that could clarify system performance in fatal crashes. This gap between internal reporting and public transparency increases scrutiny over how automakers disclose risks when marketing advanced driver-assist systems as near-autonomous.
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