Posted on 10/06/2025 7:05:32 AM PDT by Red Badger
A college student killed in a Tesla Cybertruck crash was trapped inside the vehicle as it burst into flames due to a design flaw involving its doors, a lawsuit has claimed.
Krysta Michelle Tsukahara, a sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design, was one of three who died in the accident in Piedmont, California, last November.
Her parents have alleged that Tesla, run by Elon Musk, knew of the design flaw for years and could have fixed the problem but failed to do so.
Krysta, 19, along with friends Soren Dixon, 19, who was driving, and Jack Nelson, 20, died in the crash after the vehicle hit a tree at high speed and burst into flames. A fourth person was also injured.
Her parents Carl and Noelle Tsukahara originally filed a lawsuit going after the automaker in April, before filing an amended wrongful death suit this week.
The 36-page complaint claims that their daughter, who was sitting in the back of the car, suffered minor injuries but when the vehicle's battery caught fire she died from burns and smoke inhalation.
The doors of the vehicle are battery powered and can fail if the vehicle loses power.
The suit says Krysta was unable to escape the inferno due to the manual release on the door being too difficult to find.
According to the suit, the teenager 'suffered unimaginable pain and emotional distress', due to being stuck in the rear of the vehicle as it burned.
Her father spoke with The New York Times, who first reported on the suit, saying his daughter would still be alive had it not been so difficult to get out.
He also spoke with KTVU Fox 2, adding: 'Krysta was a bright, kind, and accomplished young woman with her whole life ahead of her.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
An editorial
(after the vehicle hit a tree at high speed and burst into flames)
🤔🤔🤔
Why does it matter that the student was “wealthy”? That part of the headline seems like it has no relevance to the story.
This sounds like that Chinese guy who took a battery pack onto an elevator when it caught fire.
Burning lithium is a horrible way to go.
Propaganda.
See my reply #6.
Too drunk to exit. Too drunk to pull a lever.
Not only does the Cybertruck have emergency manual latches but they are located exactly where the automatic latches are. Most everyone that drives a Tesla understands this. The door likely didn't open because it was crashed in. This is very sad but it's likely more attributable to cocaine and alcohol than anything else. Frivolous at best
https://x.com/stan4osu/status/1974986555178533344?t=eA_3L8P9Q4A1sYrIfD0BVA&s=19
yep, UK hates (HATES) Musk.
[[Her parents have alleged that Tesla, run by Elon Musk, knew of the design flaw for years and could have fixed the problem but failed to do so]]
They are mind readers?
“””This is very sad but it’s likely more attributable to cocaine and alcohol than anything else.”””
Yes, if cocaine and alcohol had not been involved, the three youngsters would still be enjoying life.
The emergency door lever IS hidden, not marked, and in no way obvious to a person who rides in other normal cars.
“use the manual release mechanism instead of the interior button. For the front doors, pull up the manual door release located in front of the window switches. For the rear doors, remove the rubber mat from the bottom of the door pocket to find a plastic flap, then pull the mechanical release cable forward to open the door”
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pEjZqPj_Yzc?t=46&feature=share
Not frivolous at all. Without being checked out and educated in rear seat passenger escape, nobody would discover that rear seat emergency latch.
“The doors of the vehicle are battery powered and can fail if the vehicle loses power.”
I am not an expert but even I can see the above as a major design flaw that could lead to fatalities.
There was a famous case of an old guy who got into his car and couldn't get out due to a dead battery. He and his pet dog died of heat stroke.
Had he read the owner's manual after he bought the car, he would have known there are manual door releases on each door sill.
I’m tempted to buy one, put in my front yard with a sign: “Stay tuned for future attractions!”
Explain how this is propaganda.
You are making assumptions. Even if the driver was drunk or driving recklessly for another reason no one should die in such a horrible way.
Any way out whether it is in a building or a car must be easy find and to operate and available in an emergency.
Isn't that what reading the owner's manual is all about?
As I noted above, Corvettes have had electrically-operated door latches since 2005 and also feature manual releases. But, you've got to read the manual to know where to find them.
Who buys a car, then doesn't read the manual?
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