Overview
- The crash happened Friday night when a Tesla Model 3 failed to make a right turn, left the roadway at high speed, and drove through the brick front of a home in Katy, Texas, striking Martha Avila, 76.
- The vehicle's 44-year-old driver told deputies the car was on Autopilot or using an automated driving assistance system, but authorities have not yet verified whether any such system was engaged.
- Harris County investigators are reviewing the car's data, the driver's actions, lane departure and speed as part of an active Vehicular Crimes Division probe and no charges have been filed so far.
- Family members say the home is uninhabitable and are coping with the loss while the driver is hospitalized, injured, showed no signs of intoxication, and has cooperated with police.
- The case arrives as federal regulators and courts increase scrutiny of Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving software, which both require an attentive driver and are under NHTSA review for safety and reporting practices.