Overview
- A Tesla Model 3 left the roadway and struck a Katy, Texas, home on June 19, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila and injuring others in the house.
- Avila’s daughter and son-in-law filed a wrongful-death suit on June 24 in Harris County District Court that names Tesla and the car’s driver and seeks more than $1 million plus punitive damages.
- Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened formal investigations into the crash, and local authorities continue their probe.
- Tesla executives posted that vehicle data show the driver pressed the accelerator to 100% and overrode Autopilot, while the family’s lawyers and some lawmakers demand full access to the car’s event logs to verify those claims.
- The case adds to mounting legal and regulatory pressure on Tesla after prior NHTSA probes, a 2023 recall to enforce driver attention, and a recently reported settlement in a 2023 FSD‑linked pedestrian death that underscores wider safety concerns.