Elon Musk denies Tesla’s Autopilot caused crash that killed grandmother

In the wake of a tragic incident where a Tesla vehicle crashed into a Texas home, resulting in the death of a 76-year-old grandmother, the family has filed a lawsuit against the automaker. The complaint, submitted to the Harris County District Court, claims that the automated assist mode of the Tesla Model 3 was defective, seeking damages exceeding $1 million. The driver at the time of the crash, Michael Butler, is also named in the lawsuit. He reported to law enforcement that the vehicle's automated driving feature was active when he lost control. Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, confirming that Butler was not under the influence and has been cooperative with their inquiries. Tesla has firmly denied any responsibility, asserting that its "Full Self Driving" (FSD) technology did not contribute to the accident. CEO Elon Musk took to social media to argue that the high-speed nature of the crash contradicts the capabilities of the FSD, which is designed to drive cautiously in residential areas. He emphasized that the vehicle's behavior in this incident does not align with FSD’s operational parameters. Further complicating matters, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s vice president of AI software, suggested that the driver’s actions led to the crash, alleging that Butler had overridden the self-driving feature by fully pressing the accelerator pedal. He stated that the vehicle reached a speed of 73 mph at the time of the collision and continued to accelerate even after impact, casting doubt on the family's allegations against the company.