Federal regulators have opened a probe into a collision that killed a Texas woman after a Tesla crashed through a brick home while the driver said an automated driving-assistance system was engaged.
A spokesperson for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the federal agency that oversees auto safety, confirmed to Business Insider in a brief statement that a “Special Crash investigation” has been launched for the incident.
NHTSA defines a Special Crash investigation as the agency’s “most in-depth and detailed level of crash investigation data” collection. The federal regulator said that the cases NHTSA chooses could involve probes into “emerging technologies,” including “alternative fueled vehicles,” “adaptive controls,” and “potential safety defects.”
The crash happened around 8:03 p.m. on Friday in Katy, Texas, where Michael Butler was driving a Tesla Model 3, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Saturday.
“Butler failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway, and struck the residence,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Butler’s Tesla entered through the brick residence, at a high rate of speed, and struck M. Avila who was inside the residence,” it added.
Avila was flown by medical helicopter to a local hospital, where she later died from injuries sustained in the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
“There were no signs of intoxication on Butler and he was cooperative during the investigation,” the statement added.
It was not clear which of Tesla’s features Butler was using at the time of the crash — the company offers Autopilot and full self-driving capabilities. Tesla says the features are for the “fully attentive driver” who should be ready to take over at any time.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the case remains under investigation.
Tesla did not respond to a Business Insider request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Business Insider could not locate Butler.
The crash comes as Tesla’s driver-assistance features have faced scrutiny in courts and from regulators.
Last year, a Florida jury found the automaker partially liable in a 2019 crash in which a driver hit another vehicle while Autopilot was engaged. In a separate case, a California judge ruled last year that Tesla’s branding of the feature as “Autopilot” was misleading, leading the company to change its name.
