Tesla Sued Over Fatal Cybertruck Fire That Trapped College Students Inside

Tesla is facing legal pressure after two families filed separate lawsuits claiming a fatal Cybertruck crash turned deadly because the vehicle’s doors wouldn’t open.

The parents of 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara and 20-year-old Jack Nelson filed suit Thursday in California, alleging Tesla’s electric door handles failed during a crash in November 2024.

“This case arises from catastrophic design defects in the Tesla Cybertruck that turned a survivable crash into a fatal fire,” the Nelson lawsuit states.

Tsukahara and Nelson were passengers in the Cybertruck, along with 19-year-old Soren Dixon and another rider. Only one person survived. Nelson and Tsukahara initially survived the crash but died after being trapped in the fire.

According to the lawsuits, rescuers were unable to get the doors open because the electronic handles stopped working. Inside the vehicle, a manual release was “concealed beneath the map pocket liner at the bottom of the door,” making it nearly impossible to access in the chaos.

“These defects created a foreseeable and unreasonable risk of occupant entrapment and death in the event of a collision resulting in power loss, rendering the vehicle a death trap,” the Tsukahara family’s complaint said.

The lawsuits argue that Tesla had previous warnings about door failures but did not act.

Tesla has not commented on the lawsuits.