US opens probe of fatal Tesla crash into Texas home

A US agency has stated on Monday it was investigating the June 19 crash of a Tesla Model 3 that was reportedly using an advanced driver assistance system when it struck a home in Katy, Texas, killing a 76-year-old woman.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened nearly 50 special crash investigations since 2016 into incidents involving Teslas in which advanced driver assistance systems such as Autopilot were suspected of being used, with about two dozen deaths reported.

Separately, NHTSA in March escalated its probe into 3.2 million Tesla vehicles with Full Self-Driving, on concerns the system may fail to detect or warn drivers in poor visibility.

CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS EMERGE

Ashok Elluswamy, who leads Tesla's self-driving efforts, said on the social media platform X that the driver overrode the vehicle's automated system before the fatal crash in Texas.

"In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100 per cent of the accel pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph (around 117.4 kph) during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash," Elluswamy said.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the driver reported he was operating the vehicle "with an automated driving assistance system engaged at the time of the crash."

The statement added that the Tesla "entered through the brick residence, at a high rate of speed, and struck M. Avila, who was inside the residence."

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk questioned media coverage of the incident, saying on X that a Business Insider report about the investigation "makes no sense." He added that Tesla's Full Self-Driving system "drives slowly through neighborhood streets."

NHTSA typically opens more than 100 special crash investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential auto safety issues. Such investigations have previously helped develop safety rules on airbags.

In October, NHTSA launched a ​separate investigation into 2.88 ⁠million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD over more than 50 reports of traffic safety violations and a series of crashes.

Tesla in 2023 recalled 2 million vehicles, nearly all of its EVs on US roads, to better ensure drivers pay attention when using its Autopilot advanced driver assistance system.