A Tesla electric vehicle veered off a road in west Houston's suburbs, crashing through a brick wall at high speed and entering a house. The accident killed an elderly woman inside the home.

Michael Butler, 44, the Tesla driver, later told police that the autonomous driving assist system was active during the accident. Authorities have not yet determined if this system was Autopilot or full self-driving.

The Tesla Model 3 crashed through a brick wall and was fully inside the house. Photo: Harris County Sheriff’s Office

Police stated Butler showed no signs of intoxication and cooperated with the investigation. "Investigators have not yet found any evidence of technical malfunction. However, it is important to note that the investigation is not complete. Once all evidence is gathered, the investigation file will be presented to the Harris County District Attorney's Office to determine if criminal charges should be filed," the sheriff's office told NBC News.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. However, CEO Elon Musk addressed the incident in a social media post on the evening of 22/6.

"The full self-driving mode drives slowly on residential streets, and this was a high-speed accident!", he wrote on X, referring to the vehicle's driving assist mode.

On the same day, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it was opening a special investigation into the accident.

Just two days after the incident in Houston, Texas, another Tesla-involved accident occurred in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The Tesla crashed into a pillar at a shopping center. Photo: Heidi Reinbold/WGAL

According to police, a Tesla crashed into a pillar at Tanger Outlets in Hershey, around 11:30 on 21/6. The female driver later told police that the car was "self-driving and she could not control it" until it hit the pillar.

Before impacting the pillar, the car drove onto the sidewalk, turned right, went down a grass median, struck a small tree and three other vehicles, then hit a sign.

Police stated the female driver, Naganur, was looking for a parking spot before the accident. Initial investigations found no evidence that Naganur was impaired by drugs or alcohol, and she was fully qualified to operate the Tesla.

The female driver was the sole occupant of the Tesla. No injuries were reported, and police are investigating the accident, according to WGAL.

Tesla is still facing lawsuits totaling up to 14,5 billion USD related to its full self-driving and Autopilot semi-autonomous systems. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is conducting a technical analysis involving 3,2 million vehicles concerning the safety performance of full self-driving, with over 80 full self-driving traffic violations already recorded in the agency's files. However, the two most recent accidents still require official investigation and verification to determine whether the fault lies with human error or technology.

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