The NTSB says the driver pressed the accelerator to 100% in a fatal June Tesla crash.
Why it matters: The finding strengthens Tesla's claim that the driver, not the software, overrode Full Self-Driving (Supervised). It also feeds the broader debate over driver-assist liability and how crash probes assess autonomous-vehicle claims.
- The NTSB says a June 19 Tesla crash in Katy, Texas, killed 76-year-old Martha Avila after the car struck her home at more than 70 mph.
- The agency says the driver used Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential two-lane road with a 30 mph limit.
- Security video showed the car accelerating through an intersection before leaving the road and hitting the house, according to the NTSB and TechCrunch.
- Reuters reported that driver Michael David Butler, 44, was charged with manslaughter; the NTSB and NHTSA probes are still open.
The National Transportation Safety Board says a Tesla driver in Katy, Texas, pressed the accelerator to 100% before a June 19 crash that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila. The NTSB says the vehicle struck her home at more than 70 mph and that the driver was using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential street with a 30 mph limit. The agency's investigation page identifies the crash as HWY26FH014.
The board's preliminary account matches Tesla's earlier public statement. Tesla vice president of AI software Ashok Elluswamy previously posted that the driver "manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%." TechCrunch reported that the NTSB's update confirms that description.
The crash remains under investigation, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also probing the incident. Reuters reported that Michael David Butler, 44, was charged with manslaughter in connection with the crash. Reuters-syndicated reporting said the charge followed the fatal crash into the home.
The case is likely to stay in focus because it sits at the center of a larger fight over driver-assist technology, liability and how regulators frame autonomy claims. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has argued the allegation makes no sense, saying, "FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high speed crash!"
By the numbers
- 100% - the accelerator input the NTSB says the Tesla driver applied.
- More than 70 mph - the speed cited for the Tesla when it hit Martha Avila's home, in a 30 mph zone.
- 44 - the age Reuters reported for driver Michael David Butler, who was charged with manslaughter.
Yes, but: The NTSB has only issued a preliminary update, not a final probable-cause report.
What's next: The NTSB investigation and the separate NHTSA probe are ongoing.