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Tesla with Full Self-Driving engaged struck Texas house, killing resident; driver charged with manslaughter
The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Wednesday on a June crash in Katy, Texas. Data showed the driver pressed the accelerator pedal to 100 percent while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The incident killed 76-year-old Martha Avila and prompted manslaughter charges plus a lawsuit.
Jul 15, 4:22 PM·1m read4 sources
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The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday detailed how the driver of a Tesla pressed the accelerator pedal to 100 percent during a June crash in Katy, Texas. Vehicle data showed the car was traveling more than 70 miles per hour when it struck a house on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential two-lane road with a 30 mph speed limit, killing 76-year-old resident Martha Avila.
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The 44-year-old driver, Michael Butler, had Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged at the time, the NTSB stated in its preliminary report.
Security camera footage showed the vehicle accelerating through an intersection, leaving the road, and hitting the house under clear weather and dry roadway conditions during daylight. Butler has been charged with manslaughter. The family of Martha Avila filed a lawsuit against Butler and Tesla alleging negligence.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also investigating the incident. Tesla stated after the crash that its Full Self-Driving system was not to blame. Elon Musk wrote on X that the allegation makes no sense because FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high-speed crash.
Tesla requires drivers using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) to pay attention to the road and be ready to take control at any moment.
