The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a special investigation into a fatal crash that occurred Friday near Houston when a Tesla Model 3, reportedly utilizing an automated driving feature, crashed into a home at high speed, killing a 76-year-old woman.
The agency is focusing on the vehicle's automated driving technology, which is considered a key component of Tesla's future plans, including its rollout of robotaxis in several U.S. cities this year.
According to a police report from the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the driver stated they were using the technology at the time of the incident. However, the report does not specify the technology's role in the crash. The driver was not intoxicated and is cooperating with the investigation. The woman who died has been identified as Martha Avila.
Video footage shows the Tesla traveling across a front lawn before crashing into the front room of a brick home. The vehicle became lodged within the structure amid debris from the home.
This is not the first time NHTSA has investigated Tesla's automated systems. In late 2023, the agency launched an inquiry into 58 incidents where Teslas allegedly violated traffic safety laws while using self-driving technology, resulting in multiple crashes, fires, and injuries. Prior to that, NHTSA also investigated Tesla's reporting of crashes, as the company had apparently not been reporting them promptly as required.
Over the past decade, NHTSA has initiated 46 special crash investigations involving Teslas equipped with self-driving or driver-assistance technology. These investigations have led to fatalities in more than a dozen instances, affecting drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.