The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US automotive regulator, said it is opening a special crash investigation into an incident last Friday in which a Tesla Model 3 ploughed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila, who was inside the property, while its semi-automated driving system was engaged.
Harris County authorities said the driver, Michael Butler, was not intoxicated at the time and was cooperating with their investigation.
Butler said he was driving with Tesla’s partially automated advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) engaged when the vehicle failed to make a right turn in the Houston suburb and continued forward into the brick house at more than 70 miles per hour.
US regulators are investigating a fatal Tesla crash in Katy, Texas, that occurred in June 2026. Image credit: NHTSA
ADAS was engaged
