> **RETRACTED** · 2026-07-22
> duplicate of fatality-2026-06-19-tesla (same Katy TX Avila event, June 19 2026) — RESTORED after hard-delete violated append-only doctrine

_Incident · Fatality · retracted_

# Tesla on Autopilot crashed into Texas home at 70 mph, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila

_Original claim above is no longer asserted. See the retraction notice for context._

Canonical ID: `dd17b6ca-2664-47cc-9303-f7a6996de438`

- **Occurred:** 2026-06-19
- **Kind:** `fatality`
- **Status (derived):** retracted
- **Company:** [Tesla](/companies/tesla.md) (id: `bde7c8a1-5d35-449d-93b0-2ac8e4601c16`)

On June 19 2026, a Tesla Model 3 driven by Michael Butler (44) on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) failed to stay in a single lane, left the roadway at ~70 mph, and struck a residence in Harris County, TX, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. NHTSA and NTSB opened investigations. RESTORED: this row was hard-deleted in violation of append-only doctrine; restored as retracted duplicate on 2026-07-22.

## Sources (3)

1. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/woman-killed-when-tesla-driver-using-autopilot-crashed-into-her-home/
2. https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/15/tesla-driver-in-fatal-texas-crash-pressed-accelerator-100-ntsb-confirms/
3. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/1-person-killed-tesla-autopilot-crashes-texas-home-rcna350982

## Status history

- **retracted** · 2026-07-22 · agent:recon:restore
    - duplicate of fatality-2026-06-19-tesla (same Katy TX Avila event, June 19 2026) — RESTORED after hard-delete violated append-only doctrine

## Common questions

### What happened in Tesla on Autopilot crashed into Texas home at 70 mph, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila?

On June 19 2026, a Tesla Model 3 driven by Michael Butler (44) on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) failed to stay in a single lane, left the roadway at ~70 mph, and struck a residence in Harris County, TX, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. NHTSA and NTSB opened investigations. RESTORED: this row was hard-deleted in violation of append-only doctrine; restored as retracted duplicate on 2026-07-22. This incident was later retracted; see the retraction banner at the top of the page for the correction.

### When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on June 19, 2026 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

### Who was involved in Tesla on Autopilot crashed into Texas home at 70 mph, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila?

The incident is recorded as involving Tesla on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.

### Has anyone responded to Tesla on Autopilot crashed into Texas home at 70 mph, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila?

No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.

### What is the current status of Tesla on Autopilot crashed into Texas home at 70 mph, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila?

This incident is retracted on the DEPLOY registry. The page remains so the correction reaches readers, but the incident is suppressed from aggregate counts (company / model / location) so it no longer counts against anyone.


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