Two separate Tesla incidents within days left one person dead and another narrowly rescued from a submerged vehicle, raising fresh questions about driver attention and automated systems in electric vehicles.
In Katy, Texas, a 76-year-old woman died Friday night when a Tesla Model 3 smashed through the front of a house where she was standing. Martha Avila Mantilla was struck as the vehicle barreled into the residence at speed. The 44-year-old driver, Michael Butler, told Harris County Sheriff's Office investigators that the car's automated driving assistance system was engaged at the time of the crash. Doorbell video footage captured the impact. Butler showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative with authorities, though it remains unclear whether he sustained injuries in the collision.
Three days earlier in New Canaan, Connecticut, a lifeguard's quick thinking saved a driver whose Tesla plunged into a community swimming pool. The car crashed through trees and a fence before submerging in the water on Tuesday morning, just before the pool opened for the day. Mike D'Urso, 18, and a co-worker pulled the driver uninjured from a passenger window as the vehicle began to sink. D'Urso told ABC News that his immediate concern was the rising water would prevent the driver from breathing.
According to the New Canaan parks and recreation department, the driver was attempting to park when the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly. The pool required a full drain and cleaning after the incident.
Tesla's automated driver assistance systems come in two varieties. Autopilot maintains vehicle speed relative to traffic and helps drivers stay in marked lanes. Full self-driving capability offers expanded automation. The company emphasizes that neither system operates autonomously and drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel and remain fully attentive at all times.
The incidents arrive as Tesla faces ongoing scrutiny over driver attention during assisted driving. In 2023, the company recalled more than 2 million vehicles after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation determined that existing software failed to adequately ensure drivers stayed engaged while using the systems. Tesla responded with updates to incorporate additional controls and alerts.
The company's vehicles have drawn other recent attention for unexpected acceleration. In May, a driver using a Tesla Cybertruck's wade mode feature, designed to raise suspension in shallow water, drove into a lake in Grapevine, Texas, and required rescue.
Author James Rodriguez: "These crashes paint a concerning picture of whether drivers fully understand how and when to rely on these systems, and whether the safeguards Tesla has in place are genuinely working."
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