The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that the driver of a Tesla who crashed into a house in June had pressed the accelerator pedal to 100%, overriding the company’s Full Self-Driving software. The vehicle was traveling over 70 miles per hour when it struck a house in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old resident Martha Avila.
The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, has been charged with manslaughter and the family of the victim has sued him and Tesla, claiming negligence. The NTSB's preliminary report confirms Tesla’s account of the crash, which the company shared to show that its advanced driver assistance system wasn’t to blame.
The incident is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Security camera footage showed the car accelerating through an intersection, leaving the road, and hitting the house, with the driver allegedly telling authorities that he had “passed out” and was using Tesla’s driver assistance system.
