A fatal crash in Texas has reignited debates over Tesla's Autopilot technology, with the company pushing back against claims that its advanced driver-assist system was to blame.

Michael Butler was driving a Tesla Model 3 when it crashed into a home, killing Martha Avila. The sheriff’s deputies reported that Butler had been using Autopilot at the time of the crash, but Tesla's Ashok Elluswamy disputed this, stating that the driver had manually overridden the system by pressing the accelerator to full speed.

Elon Musk amplified the company's stance on Twitter, asserting that a high-speed crash in a residential area is inconsistent with how Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) operates. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into the incident, amid concerns over more than 40 similar probes involving Tesla crashes linked to advanced driver-assistance systems.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office will present its findings to the local district attorney to determine if criminal charges are warranted. For now, the exact role of the Autopilot system remains unclear as investigators sift through data logs from the vehicle.