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Tesla driver charged with manslaughter over crash into Texas home

From El Comercio · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • A Texas man, Michael David Butler, has been charged with manslaughter after his Tesla crashed into a home, killing a 76-year-old woman.
  • Butler claims the vehicle was on autopilot, but investigators allege he failed to maintain a lane at high speed before crashing into the residence.
  • The victim's family is suing Tesla and Butler, alleging a design defect and negligence, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a special investigation into the crash.

A Texas man faces manslaughter charges following a fatal incident where his Tesla crashed into a home, resulting in the death of a 76-year-old woman. Michael David Butler, 44, was arrested by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office vehicular crimes division. He was booked into jail with his bond set at $150,000.

This makes no sense. FSD (Full Self-Driving) drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high-speed crash!

— Elon MuskTesla CEO Elon Musk expressing skepticism about the autopilot's role in the high-speed crash.

According to the sheriff's office, Butler was driving a Tesla Model 3 on June 19 when he allegedly failed to stay in his lane, veered off the roadway, and crashed into the front room of a residence. The vehicle pinned the resident, identified as Martha Avila, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Butler reportedly told police the vehicle was operating on autopilot at the time of the collision.

Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accelerator pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.

— Ashok ElluswamyTesla's vice president of autopilot explaining the driver's alleged manual override of the self-driving system.

Investigators stated that Butler's Tesla entered the brick residence at a high speed, striking Avila, who was inside. She was transported by medical helicopter to a hospital, where she was later declared deceased. The sheriff's office noted that Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative throughout the investigation.

This makes no sense. FSD (Full Self-Driving) drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high-speed crash!

— Elon MuskTesla CEO Elon Musk questioning the circumstances of the crash, suggesting it was not consistent with the vehicle's self-driving capabilities.

Adding to the legal ramifications, Avila's family has filed a lawsuit against both Tesla and Butler. The lawsuit, lodged in Harris County District Court, alleges a "design defect" related to Tesla's systems and a failure to warn. It also claims negligence on the part of both Tesla and the driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated a special investigation into the crash. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and autopilot vice-president Ashok Elluswamy have publicly questioned the autopilot's involvement, with Elluswamy suggesting the driver manually accelerated to 73 mph, even after the crash.

Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accelerator pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.

— Ashok ElluswamyTesla's vice president of autopilot explaining the driver's alleged manual override of the self-driving system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Comercio in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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