Automakers use public roads to test prototypes and other kinds of pre-production vehicles all the time, and typically, those tests are conducted without any sort of incident. However, accidents happen all the time on those same roadways, so it’s safe to say that occasionally, this will also be the case with automaker-owned pre-production models. Unfortunately, a recent crash involving either a 2025 Ford Bronco or 2025 Ford Bronco Sport in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan resulted in a fatality that has left quite a few questions unanswered.
According to ABC 12 News, a 66-year-old Detroit-area man was driving the 2025 Ford Bronco test vehicle (it’s unclear which kind) around a month ago with what could be some sort of driver-assist feature activated. The vehicle entered a construction zone and wound up driving through a barricaded area, at which point it hit and killed a worker in that zone. Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request, the media learned that the 2025 Ford Bronco model is owned by The Blue Oval, and it’s also reportedly not yet available to the public.
Much of what the driver told police has been redacted, but the report indicates that he was subjected to a preliminary breath test, which didn’t find any alcohol in his system. The investigator wrote “it was clear there were other onboard devices recording as this was a Ford test vehicle. There was a cord plugged in under the dash and one running from the glove box.” A Ford spokesperson informed police that the driver is “a third-party employee and does not actually work for Ford Motor Company, and that he is contracted through another employer.” As of now, the driver hasn’t been charged with any crime, while police are working to obtain information from the vehicle’s Event Data Recorder.
Neither the 2025 Ford Bronco or Bronco Sport are offered with BlueCruise, nor were there any changes made to either’s Co-Pilot360 feature for the new model year, so it’s unclear what driver-assist mode might have been activated at the time, if there was one. However, while the 2025 Bronco Sport has undergone a mid-cycle refresh, the 2025 Bronco has also received a host of changes ranging from a trim level lineup revamp to the addition of new features and the deletion of others.
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Killing a worker in a work zone is BAD news for that driver. Could have been Billy Boy, since he’s that age. Can’t imagine anyone else that age still working at Ford .