The tragic loss of Krysta Tsukahara, a 19-year-old college student, has brought Tesla’s Cybertruck under intense scrutiny. Her parents are now suing the automaker. They claim the vehicle’s unique door design trapped Krysta after a crash last year, leading to her death.
The terrible incident happened on November 27, during Thanksgiving weekend. Krysta was visiting family when the Cybertruck, carrying four people, slammed into a tree. The impact was followed by fire, trapping everyone inside. A report from the California Highway Patrol confirmed the crash and subsequent blaze.
Court documents show a critical problem emerged when the fire disabled the electric power to the doors. With no electricity, the passengers had no clear way out. This design flaw, according to the lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court, sealed Krysta’s fate. Her parents point directly to the Cybertruck’s door handles as the reason for their daughter’s death.
Getting out of a Cybertruck when power fails is not simple. A Bloomberg report detailed the internal emergency release for rear passengers. It requires pulling a hidden cable located under a lining beneath the door’s storage area. This is not something most people would know or easily find in a panic.
From the outside, the situation was just as bad. The doors stayed locked. The Cybertruck’s sleek, embedded door handles made it incredibly hard for rescuers to open them, as cited by The Guardian. This design, intended to look futuristic, became a barrier to survival.
Roger Dreyer, the family’s lawyer, spoke plainly about the design. “This vehicle’s design failed Krysta,” he stated. “There was no accessible manual function or emergency control for her to escape.”
Parents Blame Cybertruck, Call Young Woman’s Death “Avoidable”
The lawsuit states that Tesla had been warned before. It claims the company was “repeatedly and directly warned” about the dangers of relying solely on electronic door systems. Such systems, the lawsuit argues, created a serious risk of people getting trapped.
There have been other reported instances. The lawsuit alleges that “owners, passers-by, and first responders documented cases” where Tesla passengers survived the initial crash. However, they couldn’t escape when the electrical power failed and a fire started.
On the night of Krysta’s accident, a friend was following the Cybertruck in another car. This friend saw the crash happen. He quickly tried to help, breaking a window in the pickup. He only managed to pull one person out.
Krysta’s parents call her death “avoidable.” Their lawsuit says she did not die from injuries from the crash itself. Instead, she died from breathing smoke and burns. These happened because she could not get out of the burning vehicle.
The Tsukahara family is also suing the estate of the driver, Soren Dixon. Dixon also died in the crash. The Alameda County coroner’s report showed Dixon was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamines. This was at the time of the collision.
