The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported on Wednesday that the driver of a Tesla involved in a June crash had fully pressed the accelerator pedal, thereby bypassing the vehicle’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software.
According to the NTSB, data retrieved from the Tesla indicated it was traveling at over 70 miles per hour when it collided with a house in Katy, Texas, resulting in the death of 76-year-old resident Martha Avila. The victim’s family has since filed a lawsuit against the alleged driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, and Tesla, accusing them of negligence. Additionally, Butler has been charged with manslaughter.
The safety board released this information as part of a preliminary report on the ongoing investigation into the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also examining the incident.
The data substantiates Tesla’s initial explanation of the crash, which was shared shortly after the incident to demonstrate that its advanced driver assistance system was not at fault. “This [allegation] makes no sense. FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high speed crash!” Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on X following the crash.
The NTSB noted that the 44-year-old driver was using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on Rose Hollow Lane, a residential road with a 30 miles per hour speed limit, before the crash. Security footage obtained by the board captured the car speeding through an intersection, veering off the road, and hitting the house. The NTSB stated that the weather was clear, the road conditions were dry, and daylight was present at the time.
Tesla mandates that drivers using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) remain attentive and ready to assume control if necessary. Butler reportedly told authorities he had “passed out” while using the driver assistance system. According to local ABC news affiliate station KTRK TV, police discovered Butler’s Google searches included phrases like “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026,” “Tesla not aggressive enough,” and “Tesla FSD too timid.”
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