Tesla says driver overrode FSD by flooring accelerator in Texas crash
Tesla confirmed its Full Self-Driving system was active when a Model 3 struck a home in Katy, Texas, killing a 76-year-old resident, and said the driver pressed the accelerator fully, causing the vehicle to reach 73 mph.
Tesla has confirmed that its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software was engaged when a Model 3 left a residential street in Katy, Texas, and collided with a two-story house, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila Mantilla. The company’s head of artificial intelligence, Ashok Elluswamy, said vehicle data show driver Michael Butler manually overrode the system by pressing the accelerator pedal to 100 percent, accelerating the car to about 73 mph before impact.
Butler, 44, told Harris County deputies that the vehicle was on Autopilot when it exited Rose Hollow Lane and struck the home. Tesla’s statement attributes the crash to a pedal misapplication, indicating that the accelerator remained depressed even after the car breached the brick wall.
The incident is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has opened a Special Crash Investigation and will independently retrieve the event data recorder and onboard logs. Tesla’s internal analysis contrasts with earlier comments from CEO Elon Musk, who suggested the crash was unrelated to the vehicle’s speed capabilities.
Legal experts note that prior cases, such as a 2025 Florida jury verdict assigning partial liability to Tesla for an Autopilot-related crash, may influence how responsibility is assessed. The NHTSA investigation will determine whether the vehicle’s driver-assistance system contributed to the accident beyond the driver’s actions.
