A NASA nuclear scientist was found deceased in his Tesla after colliding with a guardrail, leaving his body so burned that he was completely unrecognizable, according to a new report from Fox News.
29-year-old Joshua LeBlanc, who worked on nuclear propulsion projects, died in a… https://t.co/C793en0aeU pic.twitter.com/8YIhgG7fE3
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 22, 2026
A NASA nuclear scientist was found deceased in his Tesla after colliding with a guardrail, leaving his body so burned that he was completely unrecognizable, according to a new report from Fox News.
29-year-old Joshua LeBlanc, who worked on nuclear propulsion projects, died in a fiery crash over the summer.
His family at the time said they feared he had been abducted when he left his phone and wallet at home.
According to Tesla Sentry Mode data, his vehicle sat at the Huntsville, Alabama, airport for four hours on the morning of his death.
His car was found later that afternoon. Authorities have now told Fox News that the car collided with a guardrail before slamming into trees. It then burst into flames.
His family said it was completely uncharacteristic for him not to communicate with them and that it was not part of his plan to travel west that day.
LeBlanc had an impressive resume according to his LinkedIn profile.
He worked at NASA for over 5 years. He was a team lead for NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Maturation.
LeBlanc then became a team lead for NASA’s Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operation (DRACO), a nuclear thermal propulsion engine, according to Fox.
Video: KLFY News 10