Tesla driver who blamed crash on autopilot pressed accelerator 100%, NTSB finds
9 hours ago
- #Traffic Safety
- #Autonomous Vehicles
- #Technology Regulation
- NTSB's preliminary findings confirm Tesla's claim that driver Michael Butler overrode Full Self-Driving before a fatal crash, pressing the accelerator to 100% in a residential area.
- Michael Butler had initially told police autopilot was engaged, but internal data and Musk's statements contested this, suggesting manual override due to the high-speed nature of the crash.
- Phone data indicated Butler was working for DoorDash at the time, with multiple successful stops before the incident; he claimed to have passed out and didn't recall leaving the highway or entering residential streets.