The NTSB has released a preliminary report stating that a Tesla driver in Katy, Texas, overrode the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system and hit a home at high speed, resulting in the death of 76-year-old Martha Avila. The incident occurred on July 14th, when the driver was reportedly driving at speeds exceeding 70 mph [1]. This report contradicts another news outlet that claimed the driver manually overrode the car’s self-driving mode before the crash [5].
In a separate incident, an 81-year-old pilot died in a plane crash in Plymouth, Massachusetts on July 4th. The accident occurred in Myles Standish State Forest and involved a small plane crashing into an SUV [2]. Another news source reported that investigators suspect alcohol impairment may have played a role in the crash [3].
In Clark County, Washington, a 39-year-old ATV rider died after a Fourth of July night crash with an SUV. The incident occurred late on July 4th and involved no helmet use by the ATV rider [4]. This news source also mentioned alcohol impairment as a potential factor.
The NTSB has been investigating this Tesla crash since it happened, and their preliminary findings have now been released. They stated that the driver overrode the car’s self-driving mode before hitting the home [7-8].
Sources 1, 3, and 4 agree on the ATV rider's death in Clark County but disagree on whether alcohol impairment was a factor. Source 2 reports on an airplane crash involving a pilot, while source 5 covers the Tesla driver incident.