A tragic incident involving a Tesla Cybertruck has led to lawsuits following the deaths of three college students in Piedmont, California. On November 2023, 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara was among the victims when the vehicle struck a retaining wall and a tree, igniting a fire that engulfed the car. The vehicle was driven by Soren Dixon, also aged 19, with Jack Nelson, 20, as a passenger. Another occupant, Jordan Miller, managed to escape the burning vehicle with the help of a passerby who broke the windscreen.
Recent lawsuits filed by the parents of Tsukahara and Nelson detail the horrific circumstances surrounding the crash. According to the complaint filed in Alameda County Superior Court, Tsukahara initially survived the impact but was trapped inside the vehicle after it lost power, which disabled the electronic door release. The lawsuit claims that she died from smoke inhalation and burns while onlookers were unable to assist her or the other occupants.
Tesla’s Cybertruck doors are operated by a 12-volt battery, which can fail in a collision. The lawsuit highlights that while there is an emergency manual interior door release, it is not easily accessible. Attorney Roger Dreyer described the situation as a “horror story,” stating, “Tesla knows that it’s happened and that it’s going to happen, and they are doing nothing but selling the car with a system that entraps people.”
The lawsuit includes over 30 documented incidents related to Tesla’s door systems, alleging that the company has displayed a “conscious disregard” for consumer safety by failing to address known issues. It claims that the door design lacks a functional and conspicuous manual release mechanism.
In a separate legal action, Nelson’s parents, Todd and Stannye Nelson, have also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, seeking unspecified punitive damages. Both lawsuits come despite reports indicating that all four occupants had tested positive for substances, including cocaine and alcohol, at the time of the crash.
The California Highway Patrol has noted that impaired driving and speeding contributed to the incident. Dreyer emphasized that while Tesla may attempt to shift blame onto the drivers, the vehicle’s design should not have resulted in the entrapment of its passengers. He stated, “It’s our way of holding the wrongdoer accountable and correcting bad conduct.”
Since its launch in November 2023, the Tesla Cybertruck has been associated with various issues, including a recall of over 46,000 units earlier this year due to collision risks. As of now, Tesla has not issued a comment regarding the pending lawsuits. The tragic events surrounding this incident raise critical questions about vehicle safety and emergency accessibility.