US auto regulator opens investigation after deadly Tesla crash into Texas home
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a special investigation into a Tesla Model 3 crash near Houston that killed a 76-year-old woman, as the car was reportedly using automated driving technology.
The top US auto regulator announced an investigation on Monday after a Tesla using an automated driving feature crashed into a Texas home at high speed, killing a 76-year-old woman who was standing inside. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it is opening a special investigation into the Friday crash near Houston, noting that the car was using technology that Tesla CEO Elon Musk considers key to the company's future.
According to a police report from the Harris County sheriff's office, the driver told investigators he was using the technology. However, it remains unclear what role, if any, the system played in the incident. Later on Monday, Tesla's head of artificial intelligence, Ashok Elluswamy, suggested on social media that the self-driving feature was not to blame. He wrote that the driver manually overrode the system by pressing the accelerator fully, reaching 73 mph (about 117 km/h) during the crash, and continued pressing the pedal even after impact.
The police report noted that the driver was not intoxicated and is cooperating. The victim was identified as Martha Avila. Video obtained by Houston news outlet KHOU shows the car speeding over the front lawn of a brick home in Katy before crashing into a front room, leaving a scene of collapsed plaster, broken beams, and scattered furniture.
NHTSA has conducted several investigations into Tesla previously, including one late last year into 58 incidents where Teslas reportedly violated traffic laws while using self-driving technology, resulting in over a dozen crashes and fires and nearly two dozen injuries. Over the past decade, the agency has opened 46 special crash investigations involving Teslas with self-driving or driver-assistance systems, with more than a dozen of those crashes resulting in at least one fatality.
Tesla's stock fell sharply in early 2025 as sales declined amid a boycott linked to Musk's involvement in US politics. However, Musk has since successfully reframed the company's narrative around AI and robotaxis, with stock rising 16% over the past year.
