NTSB Probes Tesla Crash That Killed 76-Year-Old Katy Resident as Family Sues Driver, Automaker
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 24
NTSB Probes Tesla Crash That Killed 76-Year-Old Katy Resident as Family Sues Driver, Automaker
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 24
Summary
A weekend Tesla crash in Katy, Texas, that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila after a car slammed into her home is now under National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
Tesla said driver Michael Butler had the accelerator pressed to the floor, overriding what was more likely the car’s Full Self-Driving system and sending it to 73 mph before impact.
Butler had told local authorities he was using Tesla’s Autopilot feature before the crash, creating a key dispute that federal investigators will test against the vehicle’s onboard data logs.
Avila’s family has sued Butler and Tesla for negligence, while the NTSB joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a parallel probe likely to compel the company to turn over those records.