— Days after a Tesla crashed into a house and killed a Texas woman, her family sued Tesla claiming the 2025 Model 3 was defective, the driver-assist technology was defective, and the crash was caused by sudden unintended acceleration.
Lawsuits against Tesla are common when crashes occur whether the driver is drunk, looking for their phone, or in this case when a Tesla crashes into a house.
But according to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Tesla crash that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila occurred after the driver pressed the accelerator pedal to 100% and lost control of the Model 3.
The June 19 crash happened at about 8 p.m. in Katy, Texas, in dry daytime conditions.
Tesla Model 3 driver Michael Butler, 44, said the vehicle had an "automated driving assistance system" engaged when the vehicle crashed into the house. But investigators with the NTSB found the driver overrode Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD Supervised) system.
The NTSB says the driver pressed the accelerator pedal to 100% prior to the crash which disengaged the FSD feature, sending the Model 3 crashing into the home at more than 70 mph.
Security camera footage showed the Tesla seconds before the crash as the vehicle left the road.
The NTSB investigation will continue as does an investigation opened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As for Tesla driver Michael Butler, he was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the death of Martha Avila.