Authorities said the driver was using “an automated driving assistance system” in a Model 3.
By Jackson Chen June 22, 2026 11:11 am EST
mpohodzhay/Shutterstock A woman died after a Tesla driver, who was reportedly using "an automated driving assistance system" crashed into a house in Katy, Texas, according to local authorities. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said that the driver, who was identified as Michael Butler, was in a Tesla Model 3 with the driving assistance system "engaged" and hit the house at 1907 Blooming Park Lane on Friday night.
The police reported that the Model 3 "failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway and struck the residence" at a "high rate of speed." The crash involved a woman, Martha Avila, who was inside the house. She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead "due to injuries she sustained from the crash," police said. The police release said there were "no signs of intoxication" from the driver, who was also cooperative during the investigation.
Autopilot-related crashes in the last few years has landed Tesla in the crosshairs of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Last year, the federal agency opened an investigation into how Tesla reports crashes involving its driver assistance systems. More recently, a judge ruled that Tesla was obligated to pay $243 million for a deadly crash dating back to 2019, which involved the use of the Autopilot feature.
