Model 3 strikes a home near Houston
US vehicle safety regulators have launched a special investigation after a Tesla Model 3 crashed into a Texas residence at high speed, killing a 76-year-old woman inside the property.
The collision occurred Friday in Katy, near Houston. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced its inquiry on Monday, focusing on a vehicle that was reportedly operating with automated driving technology before the impact.
The victim was identified in the police report as Martha Avila. Footage obtained by KHOU-TV shows the Tesla crossing the front lawn of a brick house at high speed before entering a room. Images from the aftermath show the vehicle surrounded by damaged plaster, broken beams and furniture.
Driver reports using automated technology
The driver told the Harris County Sheriff’s Office that the automated system was active, according to the crash report. Investigators have not yet established whether the technology contributed to the collision.
Police said the motorist was not intoxicated and has cooperated with the investigation.
Tesla executive points to manual acceleration
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. However, Ashok Elluswamy, who leads the company’s artificial intelligence work, argued that the driver had overridden the automated system.
“In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area,” Elluswamy wrote on X.
“They reached a speed of 73 mph [119 km/h] during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.”
Another inquiry into Tesla’s driving systems
The latest case adds to a series of federal reviews involving Tesla’s automated and driver-assistance features. Late last year, NHTSA began examining 58 reported incidents in which Tesla vehicles allegedly violated traffic laws while using the technology.
Those events were connected to more than a dozen crashes and fires, as well as nearly 24 injuries. An earlier investigation also examined whether Tesla had failed to report collisions within the required deadlines.
Agency records show that NHTSA has opened 46 other special crash investigations involving Tesla vehicles using automated or assistance systems during the past decade. More than 12 of those incidents resulted in at least one death involving a driver, passenger or pedestrian.
Robotaxis become central to Tesla’s strategy
The investigation arrives as Elon Musk expands Tesla’s automated robotaxi service into several US cities. The chief executive also plans to allow owners to add their personal vehicles to a nationwide fleet using the same software.
Musk has increasingly presented Tesla as an artificial intelligence and robotics business rather than relying primarily on vehicle sales. That shift followed a sharp decline in sales and share performance early last year amid a boycott linked to his political activity.
Musk had led President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative and supported extremist political candidates in Europe. Despite that earlier pressure, Tesla shares have risen 16% over the past 12 months as investors have focused on the company’s robotaxi ambitions.
