A 76-year-old woman was killed in Katy, Texas, after a Tesla Model 3 left the road and slammed into a residential house. The crash happened while the driver, Michael Butler, was operating the car with a driver-assistance system activated, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said the vehicle failed to stay in its lane, veered off the roadway and struck the home at high speed. The impact injured Martha Avila, who was inside the house at the time. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators said their initial findings did not show signs that Butler had been drinking alcohol or using drugs, and that he cooperated with police. The reason the vehicle left the road is still unknown, and the investigation is continuing.
The case adds to a series of crashes in which Tesla's driver-assistance systems have come under scrutiny. In recent years, the company has faced regulatory and legal review in the United States over how those systems operate and how crashes involving them are reported. Last year, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an inquiry into Tesla's crash reporting when driver-assistance systems are used, and U.S. courts continue to hear cases tied to earlier accidents in which Autopilot was allegedly involved. The Texas crash is expected to renew pressure on Tesla and the debate over responsibility between drivers and automated assistance systems.
