US opens second federal investigation of deadly Tesla crash into Texas home

The US government has opened a second federal investigation into a recent crash of a Tesla that reportedly had driver-assistance technology engaged, struck a Texas home and killed a resident. Meanwhile, the family of Martha Avila, the 76-year-old resident who was killed, has sued over the wreck . The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Wednesday that it was launching an investigation into the 19 June crash that killed Avila in the Houston suburb of Katy. That came two days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was investigating the crash as well. Furthermore, lawyers for Avila’s family said they had filed a civil complaint on Tuesday contending that Elon Musk’s electric vehicle manufacturer should be held liable for her wrongful death. The plaintiffs alleged gross negligence and failure ​to warn that the “autopilot” and “full self-driving” systems of the Tesla Model 3 at the center of the case were ‌defective. Avila’s daughter, Jennifer Barbour, and ‌her husband, Justin Barbour, maintained that the Model 3’s driver, Michael Butler, told law enforcement he engaged autopilot before plowing through the front wall ‌of Avila’s home in Katy, fatally pinning her. She died later at a nearby hospital. Justin said he was also injured. The lawsuit filed in Texas’s state court system seeks more than $1m in damages, along with punitive damages reflecting Tesla’s alleged “reckless disregard for a substantial risk of severe bodily injury”. …