Tesla Driver Using Autopilot Crashes Into Home in Texas and Kills a Woman, Officials Say

A driver in a Tesla vehicle that was engaged in automated driver-assistance mode crashed into a house in Texas on Friday night and killed a woman inside, the authorities said.

The driver, Michael Butler, was in a Tesla Model 3 about 8 p.m. local time and operating the car “with an automated driving assistance system,” the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Saturday.

The crash happened in Katy, Texas, about 30 miles west of Houston in Harris County.

Mr. Butler “failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway and struck the residence” at 1907 Blooming Park Lane, the authorities said.

His Tesla “entered through the brick residence at a high rate of speed,” and struck Martha Avila, who was inside, according to the sheriff’s office.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/21/us/tesla-autopilot-crash-texas.html