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Tesla driver faces manslaughter charges over Texas crash that killed a woman inside her home
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A Tesla driver has been charged with manslaughter after his vehicle crashed into a Texas home, killing a 76-year-old woman. The incident, which occurred on June 19 in Katy, Texas, has raised serious questions about the safety of autonomous driving technology. Michael Butler, 44, was arrested on Wednesday and claimed he was using Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system at the time of the crash, according to an arrest affidavit.
Butler told paramedics the car was on 'autopilot' and that he had been changing music and looking at the navigation screen before the collision. He was making deliveries for DoorDash at the time. The affidavit revealed that Butler had recently expressed frustration with the FSD system, with Google searches from May 2026 including phrases like 'Tesla FSD not aggressive enough' and 'FSD is too timid.'
The crash killed Martha Avila, who was inside her home when Butler's Tesla plowed through it. Data from the vehicle's 'black box' showed that the accelerator pedal was pressed to 100% within six seconds, reaching 73 mph in a residential area with a speed limit of around 30 mph. The brake pedal was never pressed in the final minute before the crash. Tesla AI head Ashok Elluswamy stated that the driver 'manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%.'
The case highlights the dangers of over-reliance on driver-assist technologies. Despite Tesla's warnings that FSD requires constant driver supervision, incidents like this underscore the potential for misuse. The crash also brings into question the adequacy of current regulations for semi-autonomous systems.
Avila's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both Tesla and Butler. Federal agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, have opened investigations. The affidavit noted that an evaluation found no alcohol or drugs in Butler's system.
This incident may accelerate scrutiny of Tesla's driver-assist systems and lead to stricter regulations. Legal proceedings against Butler will likely focus on whether he was negligent in overriding the system. The outcome could set a precedent for liability in crashes involving autonomous features.
