NTSB: Driver had Tesla's Full Self-Driving on when car plowed into Texas home, killing 76-year-old

A Tesla Model 3 using Full Self-Driving mode crashed into a home in Katy, Texas, in June, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The vehicle, occupied solely by a 44-year-old driver, left Rose Hollow Lane, partially entered a driveway, and struck the house, FOX 26 Houston reported.

FOX 26 HoustonTesla Katy crash: NTSB releases preliminary report after vehicle crashed into home, killing 76-year-old woman

The NTSB's electronic data analysis showed the accelerator pedal was fully depressed at the moment of impact, Gizmodo reported. The driver, who had engaged Tesla's Advanced Driver Assistance System (Full Self-Driving), has been charged with manslaughter, while Avila's family has filed a lawsuit against both the driver and Tesla.

"Electronic data recovered from the vehicle indicated that before the crash, the accelerator pedal was 100% floored at the time of impact."

This detail may shift focus from the autonomous system to the driver's actions. Tesla's data potentially exonerates FSD but raises questions about what the driver was doing in the seconds before the crash, Gizmodo noted. The NTSB report did not determine whether the driver was actively monitoring the road, as required by the system's terms.