AI Generated Image
Texas man charged with manslaughter in Tesla crash that killed a woman in her home: Sheriff
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos • • business
Key Points:
- Michael Butler, a Texas man, was arrested on a manslaughter charge after his Tesla Model 3 crashed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila, who was inside the residence.
- Butler claimed the vehicle was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash, but Tesla disputed this, stating he manually overrode the system and accelerated to 73 mph in a residential area.
- The crash occurred on June 19, with Butler allegedly failing to stay in a single lane before crashing through the front of the home and pinning Avila, who later died at the hospital.
- Avila's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Butler and Tesla, seeking at least $1 million in damages and aiming to uncover the facts behind the incident.
- The crash is under investigation by local authorities, the NHTSA, and the National Transportation Safety Board, with Tesla executives publicly disputing Butler's account of the vehicle's self-driving status.
