Tesla Autopilot Crash in Texas Kills Woman Inside Her Home

The autopilot feature in Tesla has claimed a life. In an accident in Texas, a car travelling with this function crashed into a house and a woman inside.

The Tesla Model 3 was being driven by Michael Butler using the automated driver assistance system. According to local authorities, the car veered off the highway and struck a house at high speed.

ragedy struck when Martha Avila (76), who was standing in the front room, was hit. She was airlifted to a hospital via medical helicopter before being pronounced dead.

Authorities have not specified the speed of the vehicle. An evaluation is still being conducted to determine why the vehicle was unable to control its speed.

“We are still evaluating what caused the car to fail to control its speed before the accident,” said Sergeant Alex Turman from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, as quoted by the New York Times on Monday (22/06/2026).

Butler reportedly showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative during the investigation. However, his current condition, including whether he sustained injuries from the crash, remains unknown.

As a matter of information, Tesla is equipped with autopilot functionality. However, according to the owner’s manual, drivers must remain in control of the steering wheel and take over should any issues arise while the vehicle is in motion.

Due to the autopilot function, Tesla also recalled more than two million vehicles in 2023. At that time, federal regulators stated that the car manufacturer had not made sufficient efforts to ensure drivers remained alert while using the software.

A series of accidents have also occurred involving Tesla’s autopilot. Previously, a man died in 2018 and blamed the software, leading to Tesla being taken to court, a lawsuit which was only settled in 2024.