Fatal Tesla Crash in Texas Sets Up a Legal Showdown

A fatal Tesla crash in Texas has sparked a legal dispute over the role of driver-assistance technology. In late June, 76-year-old Martha Avila was standing in the front room of her suburban home when a Tesla Model 3 struck the brick structure at a reported speed of over 70 mph, killing her. The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, told police Tesla’s driver assistance features were engaged, and investigators reported he showed no signs of intoxication. Avila’s family filed a lawsuit in Harris County District Court on Tuesday against both Butler and Tesla, alleging the company’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature, or FSD, contributed to her death. The suit argues the system was defectively designed and unreasonably dangerous, despite requiring drivers to stay attentive and ready to intervene. Tesla did not comment to WIRED, while company executives said data indicated Butler overrode the system manually by pressing the accelerator.