Texas man charged manslaughter after Tesla crash kills woman

A Texas man has been charged with manslaughter after his Tesla, traveling at more than double the speed limit, crashed into a suburban Houston home last month, killing a 76-year-old grandmother. The case, which initially drew scrutiny to Tesla's driver-assistance technology, has shifted focus after investigators concluded the driver manually overrode the system by pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor.

Michael David Butler, 44, was arrested and charged in connection with the June 19 crash in Katy. According to a criminal complaint filed by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Butler was using his Tesla Model 3 to make DoorDash deliveries that evening. The vehicle left the roadway, struck a curb, went airborne, and crashed through the wall of a home, striking Martha Avila, who was standing in her front room. Avila was airlifted to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Butler initially told investigators the vehicle was operating in Full Self-Driving mode and that he had passed out. However, data retrieved from the vehicle told a different story. Investigators said that in the seconds before impact, the accelerator pedal was pressed all the way down, overriding the...