Tesla car crashes into house: Company says driver overrode autopilot in Texas crash that killed woman - ABC7 Chicago

Published
June 23, 2026
Outcome
Fatal
Location
Texas, Texas
Katy-area residential neighborhood
View on map
Incident type
Crash

Summary

Car Crash Texas Texas in Texas, Texas: A Tesla traveling at 73 mph crashed into a home in a Katy-area residential neighborhood in Harris County, Texas, on Friday, killing 71-year-old Martha Avila, who was in the front playroom at the time. The Harris County Sheriff's Department said the driver told investigators the car was on autopilot, but Tesla's vice president of Auto-Pilot stated on X that the driver had manually overridden the system by pressing the accelerator to 100% in a residential area. Avila suffered catastrophic injuries and later died. The Harris County Sheriff's Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have opened investigations, and no charges had been filed against the driver as of Monday.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Martha Avila Unknown Fatal
Unnamed Tesla driver At-fault party

Original reporting

Tesla car crashes into house: Company says driver overrode autopilot in Texas crash that killed woman - ABC7 Chicago

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