Man charged with manslaughter over Tesla crash originally blamed on car’s self-driving mode
Key takeaways
- Martha Avila, 76, was killed when Michael Butler’s Tesla Model 3 crashed into her home (pictured).
- Michael Butler’s arrest in the 19 June death of Martha Avila was announced late on Wednesday in a Facebook post by the sheriff of Harris county, Texas, Ed Gonzalez.
- Butler, 44, remained in the custody of Gonzalez’s office as of Friday morning in lieu of $150,000 bail, jail records showed.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Martha Avila, 76, was killed when Michael Butler’s Tesla Model 3 crashed into her home (pictured). Photograph: Terry Allbritton, Harris County Constable Precinct 5View image in fullscreen Martha Avila, 76, was killed when Michael Butler’s Tesla Model 3 crashed into her home (pictured). Photograph: Terry Allbritton, Harris County Constable Precinct 5Texas Man charged with manslaughter over Tesla crash originally blamed on car’s self-driving mode Tesla said Michael Butler disabled his car’s self-driving mode before it plowed into Martha Avila’s home in June
Prefer the Guardian on GoogleA man whose Tesla Model 3 was allegedly in self-driving mode when it crashed into a home near Houston and killed a 76-year-old woman inside recently has been jailed on a count of manslaughter.
Michael Butler’s arrest in the 19 June death of Martha Avila was announced late on Wednesday in a Facebook post by the sheriff of Harris county, Texas, Ed Gonzalez.