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It seems that Butler may have wanted more reliability out of the autopilot feature, with Google searches on his phone showing queries like “Tesla FSD not aggressive enough 2026,” “Tesla not aggressive enough,” and “Tesla FSD too timid,” ABC News reported.
If the Tesla had successfully navigated the course that Butler set before allegedly losing consciousness, the car would have turned left before smashing into the family home where 76-year-old Martha Avila lost her life. But ABC News reported that in the six seconds before the crash, the Tesla instead exceeded 70 mph speeds and continued straight after the pedal was pressed “all the way down.”
The NTSB said that “security camera footage showed the car’s path of travel as it continued straight through the intersection, departed the roadway, and struck the residence.”
Butler has been charged with manslaughter and jailed, with a bond set at $150,000, ABC News reported.
Alongside Tesla, he faces a lawsuit where Avila’s surviving family has alleged that both he and Tesla were negligent and may be to blame for the crash.
Although cops initially found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction, the family has alleged that Butler’s car may have been defective. For example, a Tesla defect known as “Sudden Unintended Acceleration” can occur when “components of the vehicle require additional power” and the draw on the battery causes “significant spikes in the system,” their lawsuit explained. If that happened to Butler’s car, the inverter may “incorrectly interpret that the accelerator pedal has been pressed” and rapidly advance to dangerous speeds.
NTSB confirmed that “all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar crashes.”
Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a special investigation.
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