The National Transportation Safety Board has released preliminary findings confirming that a Tesla driver involved in a fatal crash in Texas manually overrode the Full Self-Driving system by pressing the accelerator pedal to 100 percent. The July 16 report backs Tesla and CEO Elon Musk's claim that the driver, Michael Butler, was responsible for the high-speed collision that killed a 76-year-old woman in her home. Butler had initially told police the autopilot feature was engaged at the time of the crash.
NTSB findings contradict driver's account
According to the NTSB's preliminary report, electronic data showed that Full Self-Driving (Supervised) was engaged but the driver manually overrode it by fully depressing the accelerator. The crash occurred in a residential neighborhood, where the Tesla accelerated from 0 to over 70 mph in six seconds before striking a home. Security camera footage confirmed the car continued straight through an intersection, left the roadway, and hit the residence.
Butler, a 44-year-old DoorDash driver, was charged with manslaughter and jailed with a $150,000 bond. He told police he "passed out" and did not remember leaving the highway or entering the residential streets. Phone data revealed Google searches such as "Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026" and "Tesla too timid," suggesting he wanted the system to drive more assertively.
Tesla's stance and ongoing investigations
Tesla's vice president of AI software, Ashok Elluswamy, previously stated that internal data showed the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator fully. Musk had publicly disputed Butler's claim on X, noting that FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and that this was a high-speed crash. The NTSB emphasized that all aspects of the crash remain under investigation to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations.
The surviving family of Martha Avila has filed a lawsuit against both Butler and Tesla, alleging negligence and a possible defect known as "Sudden Unintended Acceleration." The lawsuit claims that components requiring additional power could cause the inverter to misinterpret accelerator input and rapidly accelerate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also opened a special investigation into the incident.