Driver charged with manslaughter after Tesla crashes into Texas home, kills grandmother
A Texas man has been charged with manslaughter after authorities said his Tesla crashed into a home last month, killing a 76-year-old grandmother.
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According to court documents, Michael David Butler, 44, told investigators he was driving a Tesla Model 3 with a Tesla driver-assistance system engaged when it crashed into Martha Avila's home in Katy on June 19. He later told paramedics the vehicle was on "Autopilot," according to the affidavit. Tesla has disputed that account.
Avila was inside the residence when the vehicle crashed into the home. She was flown by Life Flight to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Butler was arrested Thursday and charged with manslaughter, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
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.
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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.
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.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Tesla for comment.
Fox News Digital's Tessa Hoyos and Reuters contributed to this report.
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I am just an average American. My teen years were in the late 70s and I participated in all that that decade offered. Started working young, too young. Then I joined the Army before I graduated High School. I spent 25 years in, mostly in Infantry units. Since then I've worked in information technology positions all at small family owned companies. At this rate I'll never be a tech millionaire. When I was young I rode horses as much as I could. I do believe I should have been a cowboy. I'm getting in the saddle again by taking riding lessons and see where it goes.
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