TERRIFYING: Tesla Car PLOWS into Texas Family’s Home, Killing Grandma

What should have been a quiet evening at home for a family in Texas turned into a horror show on Friday night, when a Tesla Model 3 suddenly smashed into their house.

Grandmother Martha Avila Mantilla was killed in the crash. She was 76 years old.

The family’s dashcam captured the terrifying moment on video.

Watch the footage here:

A family’s ordinary evening turned into a nightmare when a Tesla came crashing through the front of their Texas home.

The crash killed 76-year-old Martha Avila Mantilla, according to her family. Investigators say the driver told authorities an automated driving assistance system… pic.twitter.com/FsUhI9Ptib

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 21, 2026

A family’s ordinary evening turned into a nightmare when a Tesla came crashing through the front of their Texas home.

The crash killed 76-year-old Martha Avila Mantilla, according to her family. Investigators say the driver told authorities an automated driving assistance system was engaged, though it has not been confirmed whether any self-driving features were active.

“My mom didn’t deserve this,” the victim’s daughter wrote while sharing surveillance footage of the deadly crash.

The driver of the Tesla car, who has been identified as 44-year-old Michael Butler, was also hospitalized, but survived.

He claims that self-driving mode was enabled at the time of the crash.

Authorities say that Butler was not intoxicated, and he is not facing any charges, at this time.

Local news outlet WANE reported further:

Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the 44-year-old driver told investigators he had the Tesla on autopilot. The car left the road and crashed into the home at a high rate of speed, home security footage showed.

The woman in the home, identified as Martha Avilia Mantilla, was injured and taken to a nearby hospital by Life Flight, deputies said. She was later declared dead due to her injuries.

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Jennifer Barbour, Mantilla’s daughter, posted surveillance video of the crash on her Facebook page. You can view that video at the top of this story.

“This is the Tesla driver flying into my home. My mom didn’t deserve this,” Barbour said.

Investigators said they are working to determine what role, if any, the driver’s control of the car and Tesla’s autopilot system played in the crash.

This has to be so hard for Martha Avila’s family.

Her daughter spoke with KHOU 11 about the devastating loss:

The home, which is now boarded up, was occupied by two parents, three young children and Avila at the time of the crash. Family members said the vehicle crashed into a front room that served as a playroom for the children.

Jennifer Barbour, Avila’s daughter, said she was in the backyard when she heard a loud boom.

“She didn’t deserve to go that way,” Barbour said.

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She quickly found her husband and three children, but after the dust and smoke settled, she discovered her mother had been struck.

“My three kids were at my neighbor’s when we went to the hospital to check on my mom,” Barbour said. “And then they told us they couldn’t save her. We came back and we told the kids. The kids are devastated, and we brought them back to the hotel. We’ve been here since. I’m still wearing the same clothes from yesterday…”

The 44-year-old driver was also taken to a hospital. Authorities said he has been cooperative throughout the investigation and does not appear to have been intoxicated. No charges have been filed.

“I don’t know if it’s his fault or the car’s fault or what really happened,” Barbour said. I’ve never seen a car go that fast.”

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Watch what Jennifer Barbour had to say about her mother’s life in this clip from KHOU 11:

💔 | Jennifer Barbour's mother, Martha Avila, was killed when a car slammed into their Katy area home Friday night. Martha was pinned and didn't survive her injuries. The driver reportedly told investigators his Tesla's automated driving assistance system was on at the time.… pic.twitter.com/wESoUFoyJS

— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) June 21, 2026

Please keep this poor family in your prayers.

A GoFundMe has also been set up to help them raise money for re-building their home, temporary housing, and funeral costs.

Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ feature has proven controversial.

The company has warned drivers that it is not a fully self-driving feature, and still requires one to stay alert. Yet, some people still seem to treat it that way.

This isn’t the first accident revolving around Tesla cars in Texas recently.

Daily Mail noted:

In April, a driver reported that his Tesla randomly accelerated through a railroad gate, only narrowly missing a fast approaching train.

A year prior, NHTSA launched an investigation into roughly 2.9 million Tesla vehicles over ‘Full Self-Driving’ running red lights and driving the wrong way, and the agency upgraded that probe in March 2026 to an engineering analysis.

However, many folks online are questioning Michael Butler’s claims that this terrible accident was purely the fault of the car…

I mean, that car was really flying.

What are the chances that this was a case of human error, rather than the fault of the car?

Take a look at some of these responses:

Zero chance this is anything but a human trying to blame Tesla.

RIP to the deceased but shame on the MSM for putting out this bullshit.

You don’t hate the media enough. @elonmusk @larsmoravy

— ĐOGEARMY GENERAL (@TheTeslaBull) June 21, 2026

Nope. It was a car that happened to be a Tesla and an irresponsible driver. Auto pilot doesn’t go that fast in residential areas. This is total defamation.

— Ben DeLisle (@bwdelisle) June 21, 2026

Sorry… don’t buy his story…. The Tesla would of automatically slowed and even if it was malfunctioning the driver would of take control…. This is a neighborhood NOT A HIGHWAY.

— TheCatsandMe (@MeCatsand82759) June 21, 2026

The driver is a damn liar, the autonomous system wouldn’t have been going 70 in a residential neighborhood.

— Mercury (@Just4daGiggles) June 22, 2026

The incident is currently under investigation by law enforcement, who should be able to pull the data on the car to see if autopilot was really to blame, or not.

We’ll be sure to bring you any further updates.