WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. National

Transportation Safety Board said on Friday it was investigating

the use of an advanced driver assistance system in a Ford

Mustang Mach-E that was involved in a Feb. 24 fatal crash in San

Antonio, Texas.

The NTSB said preliminary information indicated the Ford

struck the rear of a Honda CR-V that was stationary in a traffic

lane on Interstate Highway 10. A San Antonio police report said

the Ford had "partial automation" engaged at the time of the

crash.

The police report said the driver of the Honda CR-V,

56-year-old Jeffrey Allen Johnson of Austin, was taken to a

hospital and later pronounced dead.

Ford offers BlueCruise, an advanced hands-free driving

system that operates on 97% of U.S. and Canadian highways with

no intersections or traffic signals.

The NTSB said it was investigating the crash "due to its

continued interest in advanced driver assistance systems and how

vehicle operators interact with these technologies."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA) requires automakers to report all fatal crashes

involving advanced driver assistance systems.

A Ford spokesperson said on Friday that the automaker

"reported this incident to NHTSA as soon as we were made aware,

and we are actively researching all available information.

Safety is a top priority for all of us at Ford, and we will

collaborate fully with any resulting investigation."

The NTSB said investigators would "examine the wreckage and

collect information about the accident site and sequence of

events leading to the collision."

The NTSB has opened several investigations in recent years

into advanced driver assistance systems, including Tesla's

Autopilot.