Parents launch lawsuit after three students are ‘burned alive’ in Tesla that locked them inside

The parents of two US students are suing Tesla for an undisclosed amount after they and another friend died in a “horror” car crash that saw them locked inside with smoke and flames.

Krysta Michelle Tsukahara, 19, Jack Nelson, 20, and Jordan Miller were in the Tesla when 19-year-old Soren Dixon crashed the vehicle in the San Francisco Bay Area on November 29, 2024. Soren, Jack, and Krysta were killed, but Jordan was able to escape when a passerby smashed a window.

As per a 36-page wrongful death claim that was added to an already established lawsuit against Elon Musk’s Tesla, art student Krysta only suffered minor injuries during the crash. Jack also suffered minor injuries, but they were both killed by burns and smoke inhalation when the Tesla’s battery ignited. The students found themselves unable to flee when the electronic door release system failed as the Cybertruck lost power.

The teens “suffered unimaginable pain and emotional distress” during those final moments, the lawsuit stated.

Credit: KTVU

Her family filed the Tesla lawsuit last week

On that evening last year, driver Soren Dixon was found to have cocaine in his system and a blood alcohol level of 0.195, more than two times the legal limit. The California Highway Patrol’s investigation concluded that the combination of dangerous speeding and intoxication led to the initial crash. Considering that, the family’s lawyer said that Tesla “will want to blame Mr. Dixon, anybody but themselves.”

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Krysta’s dad said: “Krysta was a bright, kind, and accomplished young woman with her whole life ahead of her. We’ve had to endure not only the loss of our daughter, but the silence surrounding how this happened and why she couldn’t get out. This company is worth a trillion dollars, how can you release a machine that’s not safe in so many ways?”

Credit: Family handout

The family’s lawyer, Roger Dreyer, described it as a “horror story”, arguing that Tesla sold the cars knowing that its system could “entrap” people.

“The design of this vehicle failed Krysta. There was no functioning, accessible manual override or emergency release for her to escape. Her death was preventable. This lawsuit is about truth and accountability,” he said.

Similarly, Jack’s parents said: “The four young people in the Cybertruck were close friends and outstanding individuals, each on the verge of making meaningful contributions to the world. They were all victims of Tesla’s unsafe design.”

Tesla is yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit, but it has been approached for comment.

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Featured image credit: KTVU/Family handouts