Tesla driver in fatal Texas crash pressed accelerator 100%, NTSB confirms

Tesla is facing renewed scrutiny after the NTSB confirmed that in a fatal June crash in Katy, Texas, the driver pressed the accelerator 100%, overriding Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The vehicle was traveling above 70 mph on a 30 mph residential road before striking a house and killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. The preliminary findings support Tesla’s early claim that its driver-assistance system was not the cause, but the incident still carries legal and reputational risk: the victim’s family has sued Tesla and the driver, and the driver has been charged with manslaughter. The NHTSA is also investigating. For investors, the report may modestly reduce direct software-liability concerns while keeping broader safety, regulatory, and autonomy-related headlines in focus.