A 76-year-old woman has died after a Tesla on autopilot mode crashed through her Texas home on Friday night, according to police.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said an adult male drove into the front room of a residence and pinned the female resident, who was pronounced deceased.
Investigators identified the driver as Michael Butler and said he was driving a Tesla Model 3 when he failed to maintain a single lane, left the roadway and crashed into the residence, according to a news release from police.
Butler’s Tesla “entered through the brick residence at a high rate of speed” and struck the woman, identified as Martha Avila, who was inside, police said.
Police said that the woman was taken by a medical helicopter to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Butler told police that the vehicle was on autopilot at the time of the crash. He was also injured in the crash and taken to a nearby hospital.
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The sheriff’s office said Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative during the investigation, according to the news release.
When Global News reached out to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for further comment, it said that this remains “an active and open investigation.”
“Once all evidence has been gathered, it will be presented to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are appropriate,” the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
Global News has reached out to Tesla for comment, but has not received a response.
Jennifer Barbour, Avila’s daughter, posted surveillance video of the crash on Facebook, writing, “This is the car flying into my home. My mom didn’t deserve this.”
Barbour also shared a GoFundMe page set up for the family following the incident.
“On the day of June 19th, our family experienced a devastating tragedy when a vehicle crashed into my aunt’s home, destroying most of the house. My grandmother, Martha Avila, who was inside at the time, tragically lost her life,” Avila’s granddaughter Kelly Avila wrote in the page description.
“The home is now uninhabitable and under investigation, forcing our family into temporary housing while they cope with this unimaginable loss. We are raising funds to help cover emergency living expenses, funeral costs, and the rebuilding process as our family begins to recover,” the description added.
The GoFundMe post had raised more than USD$27,000 of its $28,000 goal from more than 390 donations as of Monday afternoon.
In 2023, Tesla recalled nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S. to update software and fix a defective system that’s supposed to ensure drivers are paying attention when using autopilot.
Documents posted by U.S. safety regulators said the update would increase warnings and alerts to drivers and even limit the areas where basic versions of autopilot can operate.
The recall came after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the autopilot partially automated driving system was in use.
—with files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
