Tesla on Autopilot Crashes into Parked Minivan in New Jersey Driveway
A Tesla operating on autopilot mode was involved in a serious accident in South Brunswick, New Jersey, when it crashed into a parked minivan in a private driveway. The incident occurred when the Tesla attempted to turn onto a narrow street and encountered an oncoming SUV. In an effort to avoid a head-on collision, the autopilot system steered the vehicle into the driveway, where it struck the minivan.
The impact was severe enough to shatter the rear windshield of the minivan and push it into the garage, damaging the side of the house. Fortunately, the homeowner, who was standing nearby, escaped injury. “I was sitting in the garage doing some work when I heard this bang,” the homeowner recalled. “When I came up, my feet were underneath the van.”
According to South Brunswick Police Detective Sergeant Tim Hoover, the Tesla’s autopilot system may have mistaken the driveway for a continuation of the road. “They were negotiating a turn to turn into a very narrow street. When they turned, they were essentially facing another vehicle head-on. The car reacted to avoid the head-on collision and ended up accelerating straight into a residential driveway.”
The driver of the Tesla was issued a ticket for careless driving. Authorities emphasized that even with advanced autopilot features, drivers are still required to exercise due caution.
This incident is part of a larger scrutiny of Tesla’s autopilot technology. In 2024, Tesla faced a federal investigation into several crashes involving its self-driving system under low-visibility conditions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) probe covered approximately 2.4 million Teslas from model years 2016 to 2024.
The NHTSA investigation also examined whether software updates affected the system’s performance in limited visibility. A separate probe into Autopilot, initiated in 2021, found 467 Autopilot-related crashes, resulting in 54 injuries and 14 deaths.
