NHTSA Complaint #11549353 — 2016 FORD TRANSIT

The involved individual was found with altered mental status on a highway on 8/13/2023. The vehicle he had been driving was found in the highway median a few hundred feet away. He was admitted to a local hospital, diagnosed with blunt force injuries of the head, and pronounced brain dead on 8/14/2023. Autopsy examination revealed fractures of the skull, subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and cerebral cortical contusions. Mechanical vehicle inspection revealed that the driveshaft flexible joint failed while the vehicle was in motion, with resulting driveshaft uncoupling and severe damage to surrounding vehicle components including the brake and fuel lines. Investigation was consistent with the decedent exiting the moving motor vehicle.