On June 19, a Tesla Model 3 crashed into a Harris County, Texas home, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. The driver, Michael Butler, told police the vehicle was operating in Autopilot mode.
This week, Avila’s daughter Jennifer Barbour and her husband filed a lawsuit against Tesla and Butler, alleging a design defect and failure to warn. The suit cites a Washington Post analysis identifying at least 17 fatal Autopilot-related crashes and seeks over $1 million in damages.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Autopilot VP Ashok Elluswamy disputed the account, stating on X that Butler manually pressed the accelerator to 100%, reaching 73 mph and still pressing the pedal after impact. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a special investigation.
In 2023, Tesla recalled nearly all U.S. vehicles to install software ensuring driver attention when using Autopilot, following an NHTSA probe into multiple crashes. The family has raised over $33,000 via GoFundMe for funeral and housing costs.
