Tesla Crashes Into Home in Texas Killing a 76yo Woman, the Driver Alleges the Car Was in Driver-Assist Mode
A Tesla driver whose vehicle sped out of control and crashed into a house in Texas resulting in the death of a woman inside has alleged that the vehicle was in driver-assist mode when the incident happened. The driver, Michael Butler, allegedly failed to keep his vehicle in a single lane before leaving the road and ploughing into the brick house.
Butler had been traveling in his Tesla Model 3 on Friday June 19, around 8 p.m. as per ABC News. The Harris County Sheriff’s office said in a statement that he had been operating the vehicle “with an automated driving assistance system,” at the time. The crash ultimately ended up taking the life of 76-year-old Martha Avila who was inside the home.
Neighbors a few doors down described the moment they heard the crash. “I sounded like thunder,” said neighbor, Jennifer Carson. Ring camera footage was also shared by Martha Avila’s daughter which showed the Tesla traveling at high speed before disappearing from view and presumably crashing into the wall.
Avila was quickly airlifted to hospital but was later pronounced dead, reports NBC News. Butler was also injured in the crash and taken to a nearby hospital. The sheriff’s office stated that the driver showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperating with officers and the investigation.
Butler claims that the Tesla was in driver-assist mode
Butler claimed that the car had been in an automated driver-assist mode. However, the sheriff’s office told NBC News that “At this time, investigators have found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction.” Of course, the investigation is not yet finished with evidence still being gathered.
Once all the evidence has been collected it will be presented to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office where it will be determined whether criminal charges will be brought against Butler.
On Monday night Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the incident in a social media post in which he claimed that Butler’s defense “makes no sense.” Musk went on to explain that Tesla’s Full Self Driving mode could not have been going as fast as Butler’s car supposedly was, “FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high speed crash!”
Of course, there have been incidents involving self-driving Teslas in the past so perhaps it isn’t completely out of the question. Back in 2023, 2 million Teslas were recalled due to an autopilot defect. On X people responded to Musk’s post making unsubstantiated claims that Butler overrode the autopilot by pressing down the accelerator.
Until all the evidence is collected it won’t be clear exactly what caused the accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reportedly opening a special investigation into the crash while a spokesperson for the law firm Zehl said in a statement that it would be opening up a lawsuit on behalf of the Avila family NBC reports.
(Featured images CBS, X, Wikimedia CC BY-SA 4.0)
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