Tesla driver charged with manslaughter after Katy crash involving Full Self-Driving override

Harris County prosecutors charged Michael David Butler, 44, of Richmond, with manslaughter for a June 19 crash in Katy, Texas, that killed 76-year-old Martha Avila. The indictment alleges Butler was using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature while making DoorDash deliveries and deliberately overrode the system’s speed control, flooring the accelerator to about 73 mph in a residential cul-de-sac.

According to the charging document, the vehicle was navigating under FSD until Butler pressed the accelerator approaching a stop sign, overriding the system’s speed limit and carrying the car through the intersection. After the car initiated a left turn, Butler again pressed the accelerator, sending the vehicle straight into the cul-de-sac where it struck Avila’s home at high speed, went airborne and caused fatal injuries. Investigators found no mechanical failure, pedal obstruction, or evidence of drugs, alcohol, or a medical event.

Prosecutors also presented Google search history from Butler’s phone showing queries such as “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough” and “FSD too timid,” which they cite as evidence of his intent to increase the vehicle’s speed. The complaint was compiled from telemetry, dash-cam footage, cellphone records and medical reports.

Butler remains in jail on a $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Manslaughter in Texas carries a penalty of two to 20 years in prison.

"The driver pressed the accelerator," the complaint states, indicating that Butler took manual control of the vehicle’s speed while FSD continued to steer.

The case follows a civil lawsuit filed by Avila’s family against Tesla, which alleges the company’s marketing and driver-monitoring practices contributed to the accident. Tesla has previously acknowledged that FSD was engaged at the time of the crash but attributed responsibility to the driver’s override of the system.