Texas Tesla Driver Faces Manslaughter Charge After Fatal Home Crash
A Texas man whose Tesla crashed into a Katy home last month, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila, has been arrested and charged with manslaughter. Michael Butler, 44, told authorities he was using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system when the June 19 crash occurred, according to an arrest affidavit.
The affidavit says investigators extracted data from Butler’s phone and found Google searches made in May related to dissatisfaction with Tesla’s driver-assistance software. The searches included phrases such as “FSD is not aggressive enough for city driving” and “tesla fsd too timid.” Police cited the searches as part of their review of the events preceding the crash.
Tesla AI chief Ashok Elluswamy said on X shortly after the incident that the driver had “manually overrode self-driving” by fully pressing the accelerator. The affidavit describes vehicle video and event-data records that officials say showed the accelerator pedal being increasingly depressed over about six seconds until it reached 100 percent. Investigators said the car reached 73 mph, more than twice the residential speed limit, before hitting a curb, going airborne and striking the home.
The document also says the brake pedal was not pressed during the final minute before impact. Butler reportedly told paramedics the car was on “autopilot” and said he remembered changing music and looking at the navigation screen. Hospital providers were told he remembered putting the vehicle in self-driving mode and later “passed out.” The affidavit says hospital testing found no alcohol or drugs in his system.
Avila’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Butler and Tesla. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened investigations. The proceedings are expected to examine the actions of the driver, Tesla’s technology and the circumstances that led to the fatal collision.