Tesla Model 3 driver charged with manslaughter in Katy, Texas crash
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A Texas man has been charged with manslaughter after authorities say his Tesla crashed into a home last month, killing a 76-year-old grandmother.
Michael David Butler, 44, told investigators he was driving a Tesla Model 3 with the Tesla driver assistance system engaged when he crashed into Martha Avila’s Katy home on June 19, according to court documents. He later told paramedics the vehicle was on “Autopilot,” according to the affidavit. Tesla disputed this account.
Avila was inside the house when the vehicle crashed into it. He was taken by Life Flight to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
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Michael David Butler was charged with manslaughter after authorities said his Tesla crashed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila.
Butler was arrested on Thursday and charged with involuntary manslaughter, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Butler told investigators he was making a DoorDash delivery while adjusting the music on his Tesla’s touchscreen before “passing out,” according to the arrest affidavit.
The affidavit alleges the vehicle reached speeds of 73 mph (more than twice the posted speed limit) and the brake pedal was not pressed in the minutes before the crash.
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A 76-year-old woman died when a Tesla in autopilot mode crashed into her home in Texas. (via Jennifer Barbour Storyful)
The sheriff’s office said Butler failed to stay in one lane before going off the road and crashing into the side of the house.
In the footage of the accident taken with the ringing sound, it is seen that the vehicle crashed into the house at a high speed.
Butler denied feeling sick or using alcohol or drugs before the crash, according to testimony.
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Authorities allege the Tesla reached speeds of 73 miles per hour before crashing into a home in Katy, Texas. (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Tesla disputed Butler’s account. While CEO Elon Musk said that a vehicle operating in Full Self-Driving mode would move slowly on residential streets, Tesla’s head of artificial intelligence, Ashok Elluswamy, said Butler manually disabled the system by fully pressing the accelerator pedal.
“In this case, the driver manually overrode automatic driving by pressing the accelerator pedal all the way to 100% acceleration in this residential area,” he wrote in a post on X.
KHOU-TV reported Butler had a probable arraignment Thursday and his bail was set at $150,000. He was also ordered to wear an ankle monitor and not to drive.
Avila’s family filed a lawsuit against Tesla last week, claiming that his death was caused by the company’s gross negligence and failure to warn consumers that its autonomous driving systems were defective.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Tesla for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Tessa Hoyos and Reuters contributed to this report.
