A Texas man has been formally accused of manslaughter following an incident where his Tesla collided with a house, resulting in the death of a 76-year-old woman.
Court records reveal that 44-year-old Michael David Butler informed investigators he was operating a Tesla Model 3 utilizing its driver-assistance features when the vehicle plowed into the home of Martha Avila in Katy on June 19. Butler reportedly mentioned to EMTs that the car was on “Autopilot,” though Tesla has contested this claim.
Avila was present inside her house at the time of the crash. She was swiftly transported to a nearby hospital via Life Flight, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Michael David Butler is facing a manslaughter charge due to the fatal crash into Martha Avila’s home in Katy, Texas.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office reports that Butler was taken into custody on Thursday and is now charged with manslaughter.
According to an arrest affidavit, Butler told investigators he was making a DoorDash delivery when he adjusted the music on the Tesla’s touchscreen before he “passed out.”
The affidavit alleges the vehicle reached 73 mph — more than double the posted speed limit — and that the brake pedal was not applied during the minutes leading up to the crash.
A 76-year-old woman was killed after a Tesla in autopilot mode crashed into her Texas home. (Jennifer Barbour via Storyful)
The sheriff’s office said Butler failed to maintain a single lane before leaving the roadway and crashing through the side of the home.
Ring doorbell footage of the crash shows the vehicle slamming into the house at a high rate of speed.
According to the affidavit, Butler denied feeling ill or consuming alcohol or drugs before the crash.
Authorities allege the Tesla reached 73 mph before crashing into a Katy, Texas, home. (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Tesla has disputed Butler’s account. CEO Elon Musk said a vehicle operating in Full Self-Driving mode would travel slowly through residential streets, while Tesla’s head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said Butler manually overrode the system by fully depressing the accelerator.
“In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area,” he wrote in a post on X.
KHOU-TV reported Butler appeared in probable cause court Thursday, where his bail was set at $150,000. He was also ordered to wear an ankle monitor and not drive.
Avila’s family sued Tesla last week, alleging her death resulted from the company’s gross negligence and failure to warn consumers that its self-driving systems were defective.
News Media has reached out to Tesla for comment.