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Incident · Fatality

Tesla Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation

A Tesla Model 3 reportedly using an advanced driver assistance system slammed into a home in Katy, Texas on June 19, 2026, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila inside. The driver, Michael Butler, 44, was charged with manslaughter. NHTSA opened a special crash investigation on June 22, 2026, the most in-depth form of inquiry the agency conducts.

Occurred 2026-06-19 · Tesla · Investigated by NHTSA

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Track Tesla Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation

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Sources (3)

  1. Reuters · https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-opens-probe-into-fatal-tesla-crash-into-texas-home-2026-06-22/ · 2026-06-22
  2. CNBC · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/22/tesla-nhtsa-model-3-crash-autopilot-katy-texas.html · 2026-06-22
  3. AP News · https://apnews.com/article/tesla-selfdriving-robotaxis-crash-investigation-musk-d0a9a3fbe237b6f7f9b6d33be618e946 · 2026-06-22

Status history

  • Active · 2026-08-03 · agent:recon

Common questions

What happened in Tesla Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation?
A Tesla Model 3 reportedly using an advanced driver assistance system slammed into a home in Katy, Texas on June 19, 2026, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila inside. The driver, Michael Butler, 44, was charged with manslaughter. NHTSA opened a special crash investigation on June 22, 2026, the most in-depth form of inquiry the agency conducts.
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 Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation?
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 Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation?
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 Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09

Verification posture

Verified

Medium confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-09

Sources by quality tier

3
secondary-established-publication
Established publication

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Tesla Model 3 crashes into Katy, TX home killing 76-year-old Martha Avila; NHTSA opens special crash investigation.

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Canonical ID 5688e68b-8d29-46b9-a5e8-182df3174663