Key facts
- The NTSB has opened a second federal investigation into a fatal Tesla crash in Katy, Texas.
- The crash occurred on June 19 and killed 76-year-old resident Martha Avila.
- The victim's family has filed a civil lawsuit against Tesla, alleging defective "autopilot" and "full self-driving" systems.
- The lawsuit seeks over $1 million in damages for wrongful death.
- The driver reportedly stated he was using a driver-assistance system at the time of the crash.
- Tesla has previously recalled vehicles to improve driver attention monitoring for autopilot systems.
The U.S. government has initiated a second federal investigation into a fatal Tesla crash that occurred on June 19 in Katy, Texas. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced its investigation on Wednesday, following a similar probe launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) two days prior. The crash resulted in the death of 76-year-old resident Martha Avila.
Avila's family has filed a civil complaint against Tesla, alleging that the company's "autopilot" and "full self-driving" systems were defective and that the automaker is liable for her wrongful death due to gross negligence and failure to warn. The lawsuit, filed in Texas state court, seeks over $1 million in damages and punitive damages. According to reports, the driver of the Tesla, Michael Butler, told law enforcement that he had engaged the autopilot system before the vehicle crashed into Avila's home at high speed, fatally pinning her. Justin Barbour, the husband of Avila's daughter Jennifer, was also injured in the incident.
Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, defended Tesla's driver-assistance systems, stating on X that the crash was a high-speed incident and that the "full self-driving" system drives slowly through neighborhoods. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's vice-president of artificial intelligence software, further claimed on X that the driver had manually overridden the self-driving system by pressing the accelerator to 100%. The NTSB stated its investigation is being conducted in coordination with the Harris County Sheriff's Department.
Federal regulators have been increasingly scrutinizing Tesla's driver-assistance technologies. Since 2016, the NHTSA has launched nearly 50 special investigations into Tesla crashes suspected of involving these systems, which have reportedly resulted in about two dozen deaths. In March, the NHTSA intensified its investigation into 3.2 million Teslas equipped with full self-driving due to concerns about the system's performance in poor visibility. Tesla recalled approximately 2 million vehicles in 2023 to enhance driver attention monitoring for its autopilot feature. The automaker maintains that both autopilot and full self-driving require fully attentive drivers with hands on the wheel.
Tesla's stock experienced a sharp decline in early 2025, attributed to a plunge in car sales and a boycott of Musk following his involvement in U.S. federal politics and support for certain political candidates. The lawsuit filed by the Barbours also names Michael Butler as a defendant, though it is unclear if he has legal representation. Efforts to reach Butler and the Barbours' lawyers for further comment were not immediately successful.