A 76-year-old woman was killed after a Tesla Model 3 allegedly using an automated driving assistance system crashed into a house in Texas on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident took place in the Katy area of Harris County, where the vehicle, driven by Michael Butler, allegedly failed to stay within a lane, veered off the road and smashed through the brick wall of a residence.
The victim, identified as Martha Avila, was inside the front room when the car struck her. She was airlifted to hospital but later died from her injuries. Butler was also injured and taken to hospital by ambulance.
Investigators said there was no indication that Butler was intoxicated. He told officers that an automated driving assistance system was engaged at the time of the crash and is cooperating with the investigation.
Avila’s daughter, Jennifer Barbour, told local media she was in the back garden when she heard a loud, explosion-like sound. After checking on her family, she realised her mother had been hit.
“She was super healthy, she was 76, on no medication, nothing, had no health issues. She would have made it to 100 like my grandma. Her life was cut very short,” Barbour said.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the crash.