Tesla on Autopilot rear-ends fire truck, kills passenger
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Occurred: December 2019
Page published: September 2025
A Tesla Model 3 operating on Autopilot rear-ended a stopped fire truck on Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana, killing the driver and passenger in the vehicle and raising concerns about the driver assistance system's apparent inability to react to emergency vehicles with flashing lights.
What happened
What happened
The accident occurred when the Tesla, traveling eastbound at approximately 8 a.m., struck a parked fire truck parked in the passing lane that was responding to an earlier crash, with emergency lights activated.
Both occupants of the Tesla, a husband and wife, were injured. The driver Derek Monet’s spine and femur were broken; his wife, Jenna, died from her injuries.
The incident prompted a NHTSA investigation; in November 2021, the driver filed a civil lawsuit against Tesla.
Why it happened
Why it happened
The driver said that he regularly used Autopilot mode, but was unable to recall if it was engaged when his car hit the fire truck. The NHTSA confirmed the use of Autopilot at the time of the crash.
Monet's complaint made the case that Tesla was fully aware that Autopilot is not close to being capable of safe autonomous driving, despite the company continuing to “hype” its products as if they are, thereby giving its customers a false sense of security.
Investigators concluded that ineffective driver engagement monitoring and limitations in the Autopilot’s ability to detect stationary emergency vehicles had contributed to the incident - issues that have been the subject of repeated safety recommendations that Tesla and federal agencies have been slow to fully address.
What it means
What it means
The event highlighted Autopilot's apparent inability to react to emergency vehicles with flashing lights.
It also demonstrated significant accountability and transparency gaps in the oversight of Tesla and automated vehicles more generally.
Tesla Autopilot
Tesla Autopilot is an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) developed by Tesla that amounts to partial vehicle automation (Level 2 automation, as defined by SAE International).
Source: Wikipedia 🔗
System 🤖
System 🤖
Developer: Tesla
Country: USA
Sector: Automotive
Purpose: Automate steering, acceleration, braking
Technology: Driver assistance system; Computer vision; Machine learning
Issue: Accountability; Accuracy/reliability; Safety; Transparency
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Legal, regulatory 👩🏼⚖️
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Investigations, assessments, audits 👁️
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