Tesla car crashes into house: Company says driver overrode autopilot in Texas crash that killed woman - 6abc Philadelphia

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

Summary

Car Crash Texas Texas in Texas, Texas: A Tesla traveling at 73 mph crashed into a house in a Katy-area residential neighborhood in Harris County, Texas, on Friday, killing 71-year-old Martha Avila, who was in the front playroom of the home at the time. The driver told investigators the car was on autopilot, but Tesla's vice president of Autopilot stated on social media 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 are investigating the crash, 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 - 6abc Philadelphia

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