Tesla driver applied full throttle before deadly Texas crash
What's the story
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that the driver of a Tesla involved in a deadly crash in June had pressed the accelerator pedal to its maximum. The incident took place in Katy, Texas, and resulted in the death of 76-year-old Martha Avila. The data recovered from the vehicle showed it was traveling at over 113km per hour when it hit Avila's house.
Legal proceedings
Family of deceased has filed a lawsuit against Butler, Tesla
The family of the deceased has filed a lawsuit against the driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, and Tesla, alleging negligence. Butler has also been charged with manslaughter.
The NTSB's preliminary report on the crash confirms Tesla's version of events, which it released shortly after the incident to prove its advanced driver assistance system wasn't at fault.
Crash investigation
Butler was using Full Self-Driving on residential road
The NTSB revealed that Butler was using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on a residential road with a speed limit of 48km per hour before the crash.
Security camera footage showed the car speeding through an intersection, leaving the road, and crashing into the house.
The NTSB noted that "weather was clear, roadway was dry, and daylight conditions were present" at the time of the incident.
Driver's defense
Butler's Google searches included terms like 'Tesla FSD not aggressive'
Butler allegedly told authorities he had "passed out" while using Tesla's driver assistance system.
Police found his Google searches included terms like "Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026," "Tesla not aggressive enough," and "Tesla FSD too timid."
These findings are part of the ongoing investigation into the crash by both the NTSB and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.