Tesla Faces Federal Probe After Model 3 Crash Kills 76-Year-Old

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a special crash investigation into a Tesla Model 3 that slammed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. The driver, Michael Butler, told Harris County authorities he was using Tesla's partially automated driving system when the vehicle left its lane and hit the house. Butler is cooperating with the investigation, officials said.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. The NHTSA has opened more than three dozen special crash investigations involving Tesla's advanced driver assistance systems since 2016, when the feature became standard on new vehicles.

The system was previously marketed as Autopilot in the U.S. until February, when Tesla changed the name under legal pressure from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. A California court and the DMV found that Tesla had engaged in false advertising around Autopilot, potentially confusing consumers about its limitations.

A similar crash occurred in May in Clairemont, California, where a Tesla struck another vehicle and crashed through a house, injuring six people. Witnesses said the driver reported using Autopilot at the time.

An independent site, TeslaDeaths.com, has tracked at least 65 fatalities from crashes where Autopilot or FSD (Supervised) was mentioned as a factor from 2013 to 2025. The site uses news reports and police records.

The latest probe comes as Elon Musk has said the company's technology will be safe enough to operate robotaxi fleets on public roads soon.

Tesla shares closed at $405.05 on Monday, up about 1%. The news of the probe did not weigh on the stock. TSLA carries an Alpha Score of 35 out of 100, a Weak rating, on AlphaScala's proprietary stock analysis.