Texas Man Charged with Manslaughter After Fatal Tesla Crash

A man from Texas is facing manslaughter charges following a tragic incident where his Tesla Model 3 collided with a residence, resulting in the death of a grandmother. The investigation revealed that the car’s gas pedal was fully pressed down at the time of the crash.

The accused, Michael David Butler, 44, had been using the self-driving feature of his Tesla for DoorDash deliveries. Just before the vehicle struck a house, the accelerator was pushed down significantly, which disabled the car’s self-driving capabilities, as reported.

The victim, 76-year-old Martha Avila, was in her living room when the Tesla veered off the road, hit the curb, and crashed into her home. She was airlifted to a hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Jay Filliver, an investigator with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, stated, “Within approximately six seconds, the gas pedal was depressed to 100%, and with a ‘pedal to metal’ condition, the vehicle reached speeds of 113 mph, more than twice the residential speed limit.”

The sheriff’s office mentioned that Butler is currently being held on $150,000 bail. Details indicate that at around 8:03 p.m. on June 19, 2026, Butler, while activating the automated driving system, lost control of his vehicle, which then crashed into a property on Blooming Park Lane, impacting Avila who was inside.

According to the sheriff’s release, Butler displayed no signs of intoxication during the investigation. The incident is under examination by the Sheriff’s Office’s Vehicular Crimes Unit.

Interestingly, investigators found that Butler had performed several Google searches regarding his Tesla’s self-driving capabilities not being “aggressive enough” prior to the crash, suggesting he was unsatisfied with its performance.

Philiber reviewed vehicle data, noting that Butler had successfully operated the Tesla in fully autonomous mode multiple times prior to the accident without any mechanical issues. However, it was indicated that the self-driving system is designed to prevent excessive speeds until the driver overrides it by accelerating.

Martha Avila’s family has since filed a lawsuit against Tesla, seeking $1 million in damages following this unfortunate event.