An accident has been reported in Texas. According to Unilad, a Tesla reportedly rammed through the wall of a house and claimed the life of an elderly woman inside. The driver of the vehicle also got injured and reported that the car was on autopilot during the incident. The vehicle was traveling at high speed, and the driver reportedly had no signs of intoxication.
Michael Butler, the driver, was driving a Tesla Model 3 in Katy, Texas, when the vehicle lost control and struck a house at high speed. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Martha Avila, the 73-year-old woman, was inside the house at the time and came in direct contact with the car. She was airlifted to the hospital, but due to her injuries, she passed away.
Avila’s daughter, talking to the media, paid tribute to her mother, stating that she would surely have lived to be a hundred years old, but her life was cut short in the accident. She stated, “My mom is super generous and sweet. She was super healthy; she was 76, on no medication, nothing, had no health issues. She would have made it to 100 like my grandma. I think her life was cut very short.”
The driver claimed Tesla was in self-driving mode when the crash occurred
After the accident, Michael Butler was injured and was moved to the hospital, but according to police, he was neither intoxicated nor under the influence at the time of the crash. It appears that he cooperated with the police during the investigation and insisted that the accident occurred while the car was in self-driving mode. But according to the sheriff’s office, Butler seemingly failed to keep the car in one lane before leaving the road completely.
Jennifer Barbour, daughter of Martha Avila, claimed that her children were at a neighbor’s house when the accident took place, and they are traumatized. According to her, the car tore through the children’s playroom, but fortunately, they were not at home at the time. Barbour stated, “My three kids were at my neighbor’s when we went to the hospital to check on my mom.” Barbour added, “And then they told us they couldn’t save her. We came back, and we told the kids. The kids are devastated, and we brought them back to the hotel. We’ve been here since. I’m still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.”
Following the fatal car crash, the daughter shared her views about the driver, “I don’t know if it’s his fault or the car’s fault or what really happened; I’ve never seen a car go that fast.” Despite the death of Avila and significant damage to the house, no charges have been filed against the driver. Further investigation would determine whether the vehicle’s malfunction or the driver’s negligence caused the accident.
Published: Jun 23, 2026 04:15 pm