A Texas man, Michael David Butler, 44, has been charged with manslaughter after a crash involving his Tesla Model 3 resulted in the death of 76-year-old Martha Avila. The incident occurred on June 19 in Katy, Texas, when Butler, who was reportedly making a DoorDash delivery, crashed into Avila's home. According to court documents, Butler claimed the vehicle's driver-assistance system was engaged at the time of the crash, but Tesla has disputed this account. Avila was inside the home when the vehicle struck, and she was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Butler was arrested on July 3, and an affidavit indicates he was driving at 73 mph, exceeding the posted speed limit, and did not apply the brakes before the crash. He denied consuming alcohol or drugs prior to the incident. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk and head of AI Ashok Elluswamy stated that the vehicle was manually overridden by Butler, contradicting his claims about the vehicle's operation. Butler's bail has been set at $150,000, and he has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor and refrain from driving. Avila's family has filed a lawsuit against Tesla, alleging negligence related to the self-driving technology.