KATY, Texas – Neighbors of a 76-year-old Katy woman are devastated after her sudden death Friday night when a Tesla slammed into her family’s home.
New surveillance video shared with KPRC 2 News shows the Tesla Model 3 seconds before the crash, speeding down Rose Hollow Lane before hitting a curb and blasting through a two-story brick house on Blooming Park Lane.
The driver, 44-year-old Michael Butler, told Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigators the vehicle was in an automated driving mode at the time of the crash, and so far, he is not facing any charges.
Butler failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway, and struck the residence, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“This is absolutely, it’s a tragedy,” next-door neighbor Cynthia Moll said.
She described the victim, Martha Avila, as being similar to a second mother.
“It’s so very devastating for me and for the family because we’re not expecting this to happen,” Moll said.
Avila, remembered as a beloved grandmother, was in the front room at the time of the crash.
She had to be flown to the hospital where she passed away.
Butler also got rushed to the hospital. Dispatch audio appeared to indicate he got trapped in the Tesla. His current condition is unknown.
Investigators said Butler is cooperating with the investigation and did not appear to be intoxicated at the time of the crash. It’s unclear exactly how fast he was going before the car missed a right turn and appeared to jump a curb before flying into the house.
“That was so devastating that this happened to this family,” Moll said.
KPRC 2 News has reached out to Tesla but so far has not received a response.