Tesla pushes back on Autopilot narrative after fatal Texas crash
Summary
Car Crash Katy Texas in Katy, Texas: A Tesla Model 3 driven by Michael Butler left the road on a Friday night and slammed into a brick home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila, who was airlifted to a hospital and later pronounced dead. Butler told Harris County sheriff's deputies the vehicle was on Autopilot at the time, though a Tesla executive disputed that account, saying data showed the driver manually overrode the system by pressing the accelerator to 100% and reached 73 mph. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a special crash investigation, and the Harris County Sheriff's Office said it would present findings to the local district attorney to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
Publicly reported parties
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Martha Avila | Unknown | Fatal |
| Michael Butler | Unknown | Unknown |
Original reporting
Tesla pushes back on Autopilot narrative after fatal Texas crash | TechCrunch