Tesla Model 3 in Fatal New Jersey Crash Had Autopilot Confirmed Active
A Tesla Model 3 failed to stop at a stop sign in Buena Vista Township, New Jersey, on July 6, 2025, colliding with a Honda Civic and killing the Civic's 82-year-old driver. Tesla's report to the NHTSA confirmed the vehicle's automated system was active before the crash. The company redacted key details, including the software version, leaving it unclear whether Autopilot or FSD was in use.
On the evening of July 6, 2025, at approximately 6:57 p. m. , a fatal traffic accident involving a Tesla Model 3 occurred in Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey. New Jersey State Police responded to the intersection of County Route 671 and Chestnut Avenue. Police spokesman Jeffrey LeBlanc said the Tesla Model 3 failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a Honda Civic that was turning left through the intersection. The Civic's driver, 82-year-old Stephen Field, died from his injuries. The Tesla's driver and three passengers were injured and taken to a hospital with moderate injuries. The accident remains under investigation.
According to the accident report Tesla submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the vehicle involved was a 2019 Model 3, and the "active status" of the automated system was marked as "confirmed active." This means Tesla confirmed, through the vehicle's telematics data, that the driver-assistance system was active before the crash. The report recorded one fatality and stated that Tesla holds the vehicle's event data recorder (EDR) and telematics data. Under NHTSA's standing general order, automakers must report accidents involving Level 2 driver-assistance systems if the system was active within 30 seconds before the crash.
In its accident report, Tesla redacted three key fields—the accident details, the software version, and whether the road on which the accident occurred was within the system's approved operating domain—citing "confidential commercial information." Because the software version was redacted, it is currently impossible to confirm whether the accident involved the basic Autopilot or the FSD (Full Self-Driving) system. Basic Autopilot is a lane-keeping system designed for highways and does not respond to stop signs; recognizing stop signs and deciding whether to stop is a function of FSD's city-street capabilities.