Tesla Crash Probe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a special crash investigation after a Tesla Model 3 slammed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. Harris County authorities said driver Michael Butler reported that an automated driver-assistance system was engaged when the car left the road and crashed through the brick house, though Tesla pushed back by saying the driver manually overrode the system with heavy acceleration. The crash occurred June 19 and has intensified scrutiny of Tesla’s Autopilot and partially automated driving features, which have faced repeated federal examination after serious and fatal incidents. Doorbell video and police accounts described the car striking the home at high speed, with Avila airlifted to a hospital before dying from her injuries.