Tesla Faces Wrongful Death Suit and NTSB Probe Over Fatal Texas Crash
TSLA•Tesla’s driver-assistance technology is under scrutiny after a June 19 Model 3 crash in Katy, Texas, killed 76-year-old Martha Avila and injured the driver, prompting a National Transportation Safety Board safety probe. Avila’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking over $1 million, alleging negligence and defective autonomous features.
1. Fatal Texas Crash
On June 19 in Katy, Texas, a Tesla Model 3 veered off a suburban roadway at high speed, smashed through a brick wall and fatally struck 76-year-old Martha Avila inside; she was pronounced dead after being airlifted, while the driver sustained minor injuries.
2. Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed
Avila’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Harris County District Court, seeking over $1 million in damages and alleging negligence, defective driver-assistance technology and deceptive marketing of autonomous features that failed to detect the roadway’s end.
3. NTSB Safety Probe
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a safety investigation into whether the vehicle’s automated driving assistance system contributed to the high-speed collision, examining data logs and system performance at the time of the crash.
4. Tesla’s Response
Tesla asserts its data show the driver manually overrode the system by pressing the accelerator, that Full Self-Driving operates at low speeds on neighborhood streets, and that its driver-assistance tools require constant human supervision.
