A 76-year-old woman has been killed in Texas after a Tesla car engaged in automated driver-assistance mode crashed into her home on Friday (June 19).
The driver, Michael Butler, was in a Tesla Model 3 when his car ran into the house at a “high rate of speed” and struck Martha Avila, who was inside the front room of the property, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Butler was operating the car “with an automated driving assistance system,” the Sheriff's Office added, as per a report in The New York Times. The Tesla slammed through the brick wall and struck Avila, who was taken by a medical helicopter to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative during the investigation, authorities said.
Avila's daughter, Jennifer Barbour, posted surveillance video of the crash on her Facebook profile, stating that her mother did not deserve this.
“This is the Tesla driver flying into my home. My mom didn't deserve this,” Barbour said, adding that her mother's life was cut short.
Tesla's highly popular driver-assistance feature, Autopilot, has faced repeated performance issues over the years. To avoid the related risks, Tesla explicitly instructs drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take control in times of crisis.