Tesla Driver Faces Manslaughter Charges in Fatal Home Crash; FSD Use Alleged
A Texas man is facing manslaughter charges in connection with a crash that killed a woman who was inside her own home, with authorities alleging the driver was using Tesla's Full-Self Driving (FSD) system at the time of the collision.
According to an arrest affidavit, 44-year-old Michael Butler was driving his Model 3 when it struck and killed a woman inside her Katy, Texas residence. Butler claimed to officers that the vehicle's FSD system was engaged during the incident. Investigators later extracted data from Butler's phone, which reportedly revealed several Google searches related to FSD's performance from May 2026, including queries about the system not being "aggressive enough."
The case raises significant questions about driver responsibility when using advanced driver-assistance systems. Tesla's FSD, despite its name, requires active supervision from the driver and does not make the vehicle fully autonomous. The company has consistently stated that drivers must remain alert and ready to take control at any time.
This incident highlights ongoing debates about the clarity of Tesla's marketing around its autonomous driving capabilities and the legal implications when crashes occur while such systems are engaged. As regulatory scrutiny of autonomous driving technology intensifies, cases like this may help establish precedents for liability in accidents involving advanced driver-assistance systems.