A 76-year-old woman was killed after a Tesla, which the driver said was running on “autopilot,” crashed into her home.
Michael Butler was driving a Tesla Model 3 in Katy, Texas, on Friday evening when the car ran into a house at a “high rate of speed” and struck Martha Avila, who was inside, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Avila was flown to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“I think her life was cut very short,” her daughter Jennifer Barbour told KHOU 11. “My mom is super generous and sweet. She was super healthy, she was 76, on no medication, nothing, had no health issues. She would have made it to 100 like my grandma.”
Butler, who was also taken to a hospital, told police he had the car on “autopilot” when it crashed, according to Terry Allbritton, Harris County Precinct 5’s constable. He showed “no signs of intoxication” and has cooperated with investigators, the sheriff’s office noted.
open image in galleryIt remains unclear whether he faces any charges and the investigation is ongoing.
Photos from the scene show debris scattered in the yard and a massive hole in the front of the home. Barbour told KHOU 11 she lived at the home with her husband and three children, and that the Tesla crashed into the kids’ playroom.
“My three kids were at my neighbor’s when we went to the hospital to check on my mom. And then they told us they couldn’t save her,” Barbour said.
“We came back and we told the kids. The kids are devastated, and we brought them back to the hotel. We’ve been here since. I’m still wearing the same clothes from yesterday,” she added. “I don’t know if it’s his fault or the car’s fault or what really happened. I’ve never seen a car go that fast.”
open image in galleryThe family has since launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for emergency living expenses and funeral costs.
“The home is now uninhabitable and under investigation, forcing our family into temporary housing while they cope with this unimaginable loss,” the page reads.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating the crash. No charges have been filed in connection with the incident, KHOU 11 reports.
The Independent has contacted the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for comment.