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Tesla driver charged with manslaughter over crash into Texas home
Investigators say vehicle data showed Michael David Butler overrode Tesla’s driver-assistance system, and the victim’s family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit.
- Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced manslaughter charges against 44-year-old Michael Butler on Wednesday for the June 19, 2026, crash that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila inside her Katy home.
- Butler initially claimed his Tesla Model 3 was on Autopilot when the vehicle crashed, but Tesla officials disputed this, stating he manually overrode the system, reached 73 mph, and pressed the accelerator 100%.
- Seeking more than $1 million in damages, Martha Avila's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing Butler and Tesla of negligence, design defects, and failure to warn consumers about system risks.
- Authorities booked Butler into the Harris County Jail on Wednesday, with the Harris County Sheriff's Office noting he showed no signs of intoxication and cooperated with responding deputies.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a special crash investigation into the incident, continuing years of federal scrutiny regarding Tesla's Autopilot and advanced driver-assistance systems.
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Texas man charged in fatal Tesla crash where he blamed Autopilot
A Texas man has been arrested and charged with manslaughter after his Tesla crashed into a home last month, striking a woman inside and killing her. The driver, Michael Butler, claimed the vehicle was in self-driving mode, but information from Tesla shows that Butler overrode the system. Butler was arrested on Wednesday and booked at the Harris County, Texas, jail. He remained in custody through Thursday and Friday; he did not enter a plea, and …
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DoorDash driver charged with killing elderly woman after overriding Tesla’s self-driving mode
Authorities charged a Texas man with manslaughter after investigators found the accelerator pedal pressed all the way down on his Tesla Model 3 before it crashed into […]
·West Palm Beach, United States
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Total News Sources55
Leaning Left8Leaning Right9Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution51% Center
Bias Distribution
- 51% of the sources are Center
51% Center
L 23%
C 51%
R 26%
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