Tesla confirms Full Self-Driving was active in a crash that killed a mother of five

A Tesla Model Y turning left at an intersection collided with a pickup truck in Batavia, Illinois, killing a passenger in the Tesla — Maggie Espinosa, 37, a teacher and mother of five. It was reported as an ordinary intersection crash. But Electrek was able to confirm that Tesla’s own report to federal regulators says the car’s driver-assist system was engaged as it made that turn. This is part of an ongoing Electrek investigation matching reported crashes to Tesla’s redacted NHTSA data. What happened at Randall and McKee Around 4:19 p.m. on March 25, 2026, a Tesla Model Y heading south on Randall Road tried to turn left onto McKee Street and struck a Dodge pickup traveling straight in the opposite direction, according to Batavia police. A Nissan SUV was also caught up in the crash. Espinosa, a front-seat passenger in the Tesla, died of her injuries. A former kindergarten teacher, she left behind five children, including 2-year-old twins; a GoFundMe for the family raised more than $100,000. The Tesla’s driver and two others were injured. What Tesla told the federal government Under a NHTSA Standing General Order, automakers must report crashes where a Level 2 driver-assist system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. Tesla filed a report on this crash — and it’s revealing. Tesla marks the automation “Engagement Status” as “Verified Engaged,” and lists the 2026 Model Y’s pre-crash movement as “Making Left Turn” at 24 mph, at an intersection. It says the Tesla struck the front of the pickup, which had the right of way going straight. And it confirms Tesla holds the event-data recorder, telematics, and video of the crash. Then it redacts the parts that would explain it: the crash narrative, the software version, and whether the road was within the system’s approved operating area — all as “confidential business information.” We’ve laid out the complete record below — everything Tesla disclosed, and everything it blacked out. Electrek contacted Batavia PD to let them know that Tesla confirmed its ADAS was active during the crash and ask for an update on the investigation. Batavia PD said that the crash “remains under investigation and is currently under review by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.” No charges have been filed. And in the public account, there was no mention of Autopilot, “Full Self-Driving,” or any driver-assist system. Tesla Full Self-Driving vs Autopilot This one points more directly at “Full Self-Driving” than the highway cases we’ve covered. An unprotected left turn across oncoming traffic at an intersection is a City-Streets maneuver — something FSD does, and something basic Autopilot cannot. Basic Autopilot is a highway lane-keeping system; it does not turn a car left onto a cross street. So a driver-assist car that was verified engaged while making a left turn was, in all likelihood, running FSD. However, that doesn’t mean FSD was at fault in the crash, but we don’t know without all the data, and Tesla is the one gatekeeping it. It didn’t even want the public to know that FSD was active in the crash until we were able to connect the NHTSA report to the media and police reports about the crash. How we matched it: the NHTSA record is unredacted on location (Batavia), vehicle (2026 Model Y), the left-turn-into-a-pickup mechanics, the fatality, and the month — a combination unique to this crash. One caveat: the incident time Tesla logged (12:54 UTC) does not cleanly convert to the ~4:19 p.m. local time police reported, unlike the other crashes we’ve matched, so we’re flagging that discrepancy rather than relying on it; every other identifying detail lines up. Electrek’s Take A teacher and mother of five is dead, a county prosecutor is weighing whether anyone should be charged, and the single piece of evidence that would show what actually happened in that intersection, did the software make the turn, or the driver?, is sitting in Tesla’s servers. Tesla is testing software it calls ‘beta’ on public roads, turning every road user into an unwilling lab rat. At the minimum, and really, that’s all we are advocating for here, is to get all the details about what happens when it goes wrong. We know Tesla is quick to release data and massage it when it looks good for the company, but it hides everything else. If you are going to market the product as “self-driving” and encourage users to “use their phones”, you can’t hide the data when the system is involved in a fatal crash. If you’re a Tesla owner, powering your EV with home solar is one of the smartest ways to lock in low fuel costs. With electricity rates climbing nearly 10% last year, home solar protects you against future rate increases. And with lease and PPA options, you can go solar with zero upfront cost and start saving immediately. If you want to find the best deal, check out EnergySage. It’s a free service with hundreds of pre-vetted installers competing for your business, so you save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. No sales calls until you pick an installer. Get your free quotes here. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.