Tesla driver using Autopilot in Texas crash charged with manslaughter

A Texas man whose Tesla sedan was in automatic driver assistance system mode when it crashed into a Katy, Texas, home last month, killing the woman inside, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, court records show.

Michael Butler, 44, was driving his Tesla Model 3 on Autopilot on June 19 when the vehicle left the road at a “high rate of speed,” struck and drove into the home of Martha Avila, 76, who was inside, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.

Ms. Avila was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said.

Mr. Butler was charged Wednesday with one count of manslaughter and is being held in the Harris County Jail on $150,000.00 bail, court records show.

It was not clear whether Mr. Butler had a lawyer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the main federal auto safety agency, opened an investigation into the crash last month.

A video camera on the front door that captured the crash showed the Tesla crashing into the house through the driveway. Ms. Avila was standing in the front room of her home at the time of the crash, officials said.

Mr. Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative during the investigation, officials said.

Tesla executive Ashok Elluswamy, who oversees the company’s artificial intelligence software, told X late last month that the driver had “manually overridden self-driving by pressing the gas pedal.” He added that the car accelerated to 73 miles per hour.

Autopilot, Tesla’s assistive technology, is a popular feature among drivers, but over the years it has raised concerns and been linked to various accidents. Tesla owner’s manuals tell drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and take over if something goes wrong.

In 2023, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles after federal regulators said the automaker didn’t do enough to ensure drivers stayed alert while using software that can steer, accelerate and brake cars automatically.

In 2024, Tesla settled a lawsuit that blamed the 2018 death of a California man on the automaker’s driver assistance software.