Woman, 76, Killed After Tesla Driver On Autopilot Crashes Into Her Texas Home

A 76-year-old woman was killed after a Tesla car engaged in automated driver-assistance mode crashed into her Texas home on Friday (Jun 19). The driver, Michael Butler, was in a Tesla Model 3, driving around 8 pm local time in Katy, Texas, about 30 miles west of Houston in Harris County, when his car ran into the house at a “high rate of speed” and struck Martha Avila, who was inside, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Butler was operating the car “with an automated driving assistance system,” the Sheriff's Office added, as per a report in The New York Times. The Tesla slammed through the brick wall and struck Avila, who was taken by a medical helicopter to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Avila's daughter, Jennifer Barbour, posted surveillance video of the crash on her Facebook profile, stating that her mother did not deserve this.

“This is the Tesla driver flying into my home. My mom didn't deserve this,” Barbour said, adding that her mother's life was cut short.

"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," Barbour told KHOU 11.

Avila was standing in the front room of the house when the car barged in. Meanwhile, Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative during the investigation, which is in progress.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in the aftermath of the incident to support Avila's family, which has been forced to seek temporary housing.

“[Our] home is now uninhabitable and under investigation, forcing our family into temporary housing while they cope with this unimaginable loss,” the GoFundMe page reads.

"We are raising funds to help cover emergency living expenses, funeral costs, and the rebuilding process as our family begins to recover."

Although Tesla's Autopilot is a highly popular driver-assistance feature, it has faced repeated performance issues over the years. To avoid the related risks, Tesla's owner's manuals explicitly instruct drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take control in time of crisis.