Key facts
- Michael David Butler crashed a Tesla Model 3 into a Texas home on June 19, killing Martha Avila.
- Butler has been charged with manslaughter.
- Investigators determined Butler pressed the accelerator to 100% before the crash, overriding the vehicle's self-driving system.
- The Tesla reached 73 mph, more than double the speed limit, and the brake was not used in the minute prior.
- No mechanical error was detected, and Butler was not intoxicated.
- Tesla executives stated the driver manually overrode the system by flooring the accelerator.
A Texas man, Michael David Butler, 44, has been charged with manslaughter after crashing a Tesla Model 3 into a suburban Houston home, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. According to an arrest affidavit, an investigator determined that Butler pressed the accelerator pedal to 100% in the moments leading up to the crash, overriding the vehicle's Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode.
Butler crashed the vehicle into Avila's home in Katy, Texas, on June 19 while making a DoorDash delivery. Avila died later at a hospital. Butler told paramedics the car was on 'Autopilot,' but investigators found the brake pedal was not pressed in the final minute before the crash, and no mechanical error was detected. Authorities reported no signs of intoxication.
Tesla executives, including head of AI Ashok Elluswamy, have disputed Butler's recollections, stating that the driver manually overrode the FSD mode by flooring the accelerator. The vehicle reached 73 mph, more than double the speed limit on the residential street. Butler's bail was set at $150,000, with requirements to wear an ankle monitor and not drive.