Texas Driver Faces Manslaughter Charges After Fatal Tesla Crash

WHO:

ABC News - Michael Butler, 44, is the driver charged with manslaughter.

ABC News - Martha Avila, 76, was the woman killed in the crash.

ABC News - Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez provided information regarding the incident.

ABC News - Chris Adkins is the attorney representing Avila's family.

ABC News - Elon Musk is the founder and CEO of Tesla.

ABC13 Houston - Ryan Zehl is another attorney for Avila's family.

WHAT:

ABC News - Avila's family is seeking information from Tesla regarding a system called a collision snapshot that sends data to its servers during significant crashes.

ABC News - Avila's family attorney, Chris Adkins, stated, "Once we get all the facts into evidence, if there is someone that we need to hold accountable, we'll hold those parties accountable for sure."

ABC News - Avila's family attorney, Ryan Zehl, described Avila as "tragically, preventively and needlessly killed in her own residence."

ABC News - Court documents state that Butler allegedly told investigators he "passed out" while operating the car on Highway 6 in full self-driving mode, and he denied feeling ill earlier in the day.

ABC13 Houston - Investigators found that Butler tested negative for seizures, stroke, or heart attack, and no alcohol or street drugs were found in his system.

ABC13 Houston - Documents state that the Tesla was supposed to turn left, but instead, the accelerator was pressed, causing the car to speed up and the steering wheel turned right.

ABC13 Houston - Authorities investigated Butler's Google searches and found search terms including: "Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026," "Tesla not aggressive enough," and "Tesla FSD too timid."

ABC News - Butler allegedly failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway, and crashed through the front of a two-story brick residence.

ABC News - Avila was airlifted to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

ABC News - Investigators stated that Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperating with investigators.

ABC News - Tesla disputed that Butler's car was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash, alleging he overrode the feature.

ABC News - Elon Musk stated that Butler's account of the crash "makes no sense," emphasizing that "FSD [full self-driving] drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high-speed crash!"

ABC News - Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's head of artificial intelligence, claimed that the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accelerator pedal in this residential area.

ABC13 Houston - Butler was working as a DoorDash driver at the time of the incident.

ABC13 Houston - Court documents state that Butler allegedly told investigators he "passed out" while operating the car on Highway 6 in full self-driving mode.

ABC13 Houston - Investigators downloaded the crash data and black box from Butler's vehicle and received consent to search his phone.

ABC13 Houston - Authorities found that Butler's Google searches included terms like "Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026" and "Tesla FSD too timid."

ABC News - Michael Butler was arrested and charged with manslaughter after a Tesla crashed into a home, killing Martha Avila.

ABC News - Butler's bond was set at $150,000.

ABC News - Avila's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages.

ABC13 Houston - Surveillance video shows Butler's Tesla crashing into the home.

ABC13 Houston - Butler allegedly pressed the accelerator, causing the Tesla to reach a speed of 73 mph before crashing.

WHERE:

ABC News - The crash occurred in Katy, Texas.

ABC13 Houston - The specific location of the crash was on Blooming Park Lane in Katy.

WHEN:

ABC News - The crash occurred on June 19, 2026.

ABC News - Butler was arrested on July 1, 2026.

ABC News - Butler's next court hearing is scheduled for Monday.

WHY:

ABC News - Avila's family is seeking to hold accountable any parties responsible for the crash, as stated by attorney Chris Adkins.

ABC News - Avila's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit last month in Harris County District Court seeking at least $1 million in damages and alleging Tesla and Butler were negligent.

ABC News - Butler claimed the Tesla was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash.

ABC13 Houston - Investigators allege Butler overrode the self-driving feature by pressing the accelerator.

HOW:

ABC News - Investigators found that Butler's vehicle's black box indicated the accelerator pedal was pressed all the way down to 100% just before the crash.

ABC News - The investigation revealed that the brake pedal was never pressed in the final minute before the crash.

The Verge - The affidavit states that Butler told paramedics that “the car was on ‘autopilot,’” and he “remembers changing the music… (and) looked at the navigation screen” before the fatal collision.

ABC News - Investigators found that Butler used full self-driving mode for multiple DoorDash locations before the crash with no issues.

ABC13 Houston - Investigators allege that in the six seconds before the crash, Butler pressed the accelerator all the way down, causing the Tesla to reach a speed of 73 mph and go airborne into the house.

ABC News - Butler was operating a Tesla Model 3 and claimed it was using an automated driving assistance system.

ABC13 Houston - Investigators found that Butler did not press the brake pedal and did not attempt to turn away from the crash.

ABC13 Houston - Court documents state that Butler's vehicle was supposed to turn left but instead accelerated straight into the house.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 17:28 UTC)

Avila's family is seeking information from Tesla about a system known as a collision snapshot, which sends data to its servers during significant crashes. Family attorney Chris Adkins emphasized that once all the facts are gathered, they will hold accountable any parties responsible for Avila's tragic death, which was described by attorney Ryan Zehl as "preventively and needlessly" occurring in her own home. Investigators have found that the black box from Butler's vehicle showed the accelerator pedal was fully pressed just before the crash, while the brake pedal was never engaged in the final minute leading up to the incident.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 06:13 UTC)

Court documents reveal that Butler allegedly told investigators he "passed out" while operating his Tesla in full self-driving mode on Highway 6, despite denying any illness earlier that day. Investigators found no evidence of seizures, stroke, or heart attack, and Butler tested negative for alcohol or drugs, while documents indicate that the car accelerated unexpectedly instead of making a left turn as intended. Avila's family is seeking accountability for the crash, with attorney Chris Adkins highlighting their pursuit of justice, as authorities also discovered Butler's Google searches related to the car's driving behavior.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 04:17 UTC)

In a tragic incident, Butler allegedly lost control of his vehicle, crashing through the front of a two-story brick residence, which resulted in the death of Avila, who was airlifted to a hospital and pronounced dead. Investigators reported that Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperating with the investigation, while Tesla disputed claims that the car was in self-driving mode, asserting that Butler had overridden the feature. Avila's family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Harris County District Court, seeking at least $1 million in damages and alleging negligence on the part of both Tesla and Butler.

(UPDATED July 3, 2026 01:32 UTC)

In a recent incident, a DoorDash driver named Butler was operating his Tesla in full self-driving mode when he allegedly "passed out" behind the wheel on Highway 6. Investigators discovered that just before the crash, Butler pressed the accelerator all the way down, causing the vehicle to reach a speed of 73 miles per hour and ultimately go airborne into a house. Further examination of Butler's phone revealed Google searches that included phrases like "Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026" and "Tesla FSD too timid."

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 23:26 UTC)

Michael Butler, 44, has been charged with manslaughter after his Tesla crashed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Butler's vehicle accelerating to 73 mph before the impact, and he has claimed the car was in self-driving mode at the time, although investigators allege he overrode this feature. Avila's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages, and Butler's next court hearing is scheduled for Monday.