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Sheriff Charges Driver Manslaughter After Tesla Crash, NHTSA Investigates

7/2/2026

Summary

Gonzalez Charges Butler

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez charged Michael Butler with manslaughter after his Tesla Model 3 struck a Katy home on June 19 2026, killing Martha Ávila.
Tesla data show Butler overrode Autopilot, floored the accelerator, and drove at about 73 mph, contradicting his claim.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a special crash investigation while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reviewed the case.
Ávila’s family sued Butler and Tesla for at least $1 million.

Summary

Butler Misuses FSD

Butler used Tesla Full Self-Driving mode when his car entered an intersection without stopping.
Prosecutors said Butler should have turned left at the stop sign, but he accelerated straight ahead while telemetry showed the brakes never applied and no mechanical faults.
Investigators found no seizures, stroke, heart attack, or drugs in Butler’s medical and toxicology tests.
Butler’s phone history included a query for “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026.”

Summary

Firefighters Rescue

Police, EMS and Harris County ESD 48 Fire Department arrived at Rose Hollow Lane after the 8:00 p.m. crash on June 18 2026.
Firefighters extracted occupants trapped inside.
Butler suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital, while Avila’s grandchildren stayed safe in the backyard.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to fund Martha Avila’s funeral and support.
Elon Musk posted on X that FSD usually drives slowly in neighborhoods, calling the crash “nonsense.”

History

Historical Context

On March 18 2018 an Uber test car hit and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona, prompting the NTSB to issue safety recommendations and the NHTSA to release a safety bulletin. Those actions marked the first U.S. pedestrian death involving a self-driving vehicle and have driven regulators to demand real-time driver monitoring for all advanced-driver-assist systems.

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Gonzalez Charges Butler

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez charged Michael Butler with manslaughter after his Tesla Model 3 struck a Katy home on June 19 2026, killing Martha Ávila.
Tesla data show Butler overrode Autopilot, floored the accelerator, and drove at about 73 mph, contradicting his claim.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a special crash investigation while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reviewed the case.
Ávila’s family sued Butler and Tesla for at least $1 million.

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