Michael Butler, 44, has been charged with manslaughter after his Tesla Model 3 crashed into a home near Houston in June, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced his arrest on Wednesday. Butler remains in custody on $150,000 bail, with a court hearing scheduled for July 6.
Crash Details and Initial Investigation
The crash occurred around 8 p.m. on June 19 in the Houston suburb of Katy. Butler's Tesla plowed through the front wall of Avila's home, fatally pinning her. Butler was injured but showed no signs of intoxication and cooperated with investigators. He initially told deputies he was using the car's self-driving technology.
Tesla's Response and Evidence of Manual Override
Tesla's vice president of AI software, Ashok Elluswamy, posted on X that Butler "manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in [the] residential area." Elon Musk also commented, calling it "a high speed crash!"
Legal Context and Civil Lawsuit
Texas law defines manslaughter as recklessly causing death, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison. Avila's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit on June 23 against both Butler and Tesla, alleging gross negligence and defective autopilot and full self-driving systems.
Federal Investigations and Broader Tesla Scrutiny
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched investigations into the crash. Since 2016, NHTSA has opened nearly 50 special investigations into Tesla crashes involving driver-assistance systems, resulting in about two dozen deaths. In March, NHTSA escalated its probe into 3.2 million Teslas with full self-driving technology over concerns about poor visibility detection. In 2023, Tesla recalled about 2 million vehicles to ensure driver attention when using autopilot.
Recent Market Context
In early 2025, Tesla sales and stock fell due to a boycott against Musk after his involvement in U.S. federal politics and support for extremist European candidates. However, strong figures reported on Thursday suggest Tesla's auto business is regaining momentum.
