A Tesla Model 3 with FSD 14.2.2.3 self-driving monitoring software is shown driving on a highway in Irvine, California, USA on January 28, 2026.
Mike Blake | Reuters
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday that it has opened a special crash investigation into the accident. tesla Martha Avila, 76, was killed when a Model 3 crashed into a home in Katy, Texas.
Harris County authorities said the driver, Michael Butler, was cooperating with investigators at the scene and was using Tesla’s partially automated driving system when the car left its lane and crashed into a home in suburban Houston.
CNBC has reached out to Tesla for comment.
Federal vehicle safety regulators have opened more than 30 special crash investigations involving Tesla’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or partially autonomous driving systems, since 2016, when the systems became standard equipment on the electric car maker’s new vehicles.
The standard option was sold as Autopilot in the U.S. before February, when Elon Musk’s automaker rebranded it after legal pressure from the California Department of Transportation.
A California court and the state DMV found that Tesla falsely advertised its Autopilot system and could confuse consumers about its limitations.
Another accident in May in Claremont, California, involved a Tesla crashing into a house. Six people were injured when a Tesla vehicle collided with another vehicle and crashed into a home, according to NBC 7 San Diego.
Witnesses told CBS News 8 that the driver said he was using Autopilot at the time of the accident. Authorities are investigating.
TeslaDeaths.com, an independent site that tracks crashes involving Teslas using news reports, police records, and federal data, found that from 2013 to 2025, there were at least 65 crash deaths in which Tesla Autopilot or FSD (with supervision) was cited as a factor.
NHTSA’s latest investigation comes as Mr. Musk seeks to maintain investor confidence that his automaker can become a world leader in self-driving cars.
The company has been working on its self-driving system for years, promising that its technology would soon be sophisticated and safe enough to operate large-scale robotaxis on U.S. roads.
Despite the news of the federal investigation, Tesla stock rose one point to close at $405.05 on Monday.
