Following a tragic crash that claimed the lives of her two friends, a college student from California was burned alive when a Tesla Cybertruck transformed into a deadly trap, effectively ‘entombing’ her as the vehicle ignited in flames.
On November 27, 2024, 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara was a passenger in a Tesla Cybertruck with three friends when it collided with a retaining wall and caught fire.
“When officers arrived, they discovered a single vehicle completely engulfed in flames. Sadly, this incident led to multiple fatalities,” the Piedmont Police Department stated in a Facebook update.
Krysta, along with 19-year-old driver Soren Dixon and 20-year-old passenger Jack Nelson – all recent graduates of Piedmont High School – had come home for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The three young victims were trapped inside as the fire rapidly spread, unable to escape.
The sole survivor, Jordan Miller, was rescued from the burning Cybertruck by a friend driving behind them, who repeatedly smashed a window with a tree branch until it finally broke. He was able to pull a “barely conscious” Miller out of the passenger seat just moments before the flames engulfed the rest of the vehicle.
As reported by KTVU, Dixon, who was driving the vehicle, was found to have meth and cocaine in his system, along with a blood alcohol level of 0.195 – more than double the legal limit. Autopsy results indicated that both Tsukahara and Nelson tested positive for alcohol and cocaine.
Unable to escape
Krysta, a second-year student at Savannah College of Art and Design, managed to survive the initial crash with just minor injuries.
As stated in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her parents, Krysta could not escape the locked vehicle and succumbed to smoke inhalation and severe burns, experiencing what they describe as “unimaginable pain and emotional distress.”
“She tried to exit the vehicle with the help of a person who was attempting to pull her out through the front passenger window due to the electrical system failure of the Tesla Cybertruck. She couldn’t open her door because of this electrical issue, nor could the Good Samaritan who was trying to save her,” the lawsuit alleges, as reported by Fox Business. “Krysta Michelle Tsukahara was then forced back by flames and heat, making it impossible for her to be rescued from the Tesla Cybertruck,” the document states, noting that she died “from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.”
Parents of college student killed in Tesla crash allege design flaw trapped her in the burning car https://t.co/DmZj0j99Sz pic.twitter.com/b5kuzXEYhC
— New York Post (@nypost) October 3, 2025
Tesla’s ‘conscious disregard’
Both the Tsukahara and Nelson families have now initiated legal action against Tesla and the estate of the Cybertruck’s owner – Charles Patterson, who is said to be related to Dixon.
The lawsuits claim that Tesla, co-founded and led by Elon Musk, has exhibited a “conscious disregard” for consumer safety, asserting that the company has been aware of hazardous defects in its electronic door systems for a long time but has not addressed them.
As per the filings, the Cybertruck’s 12-volt battery-operated doors became non-functional after the accident, trapping passengers inside the vehicle that was on fire.
Although Tesla provides a manual door release, the lawsuits contend that it is poorly designed and hard to find in an emergency, effectively leaving victims with no escape route.
“It’s just a horror story. Tesla is aware that this has occurred and that it will continue to happen, yet they are doing nothing but marketing a car with a system that traps individuals and fails to offer a means of escape.” Tsukahara’s family attorney, Roger Dreyer, stated to the San Francisco Chronicle, as reported by the New York Post. “The design of this vehicle failed Krysta. There was no working, accessible manual override or emergency release for her to get out. Her death could have been avoided.
‘Unsafe machine’
In a statement to Fox Digital news, Carl, Krysta’s father, expressed about his daughter: “Krysta was a bright, kind, and accomplished young woman with her entire future ahead of her.”
“We’ve had to face not just the loss of our daughter, but also the silence regarding how this occurred and why she couldn’t escape. This company is valued at a trillion dollars – how can they release a machine that is unsafe in so many respects?”
At the same time, the lawsuit brought forth by Nelson’s parents stated: “Rear passengers like Jack were left with merely a hidden mechanical release that was unclear, nonintuitive, and highly improbable to be found or used amidst the smoke and chaos of a post-crash fire.”
Both wrongful death lawsuits are pursuing punitive damages from Tesla, alleging that the company knowingly sold a vehicle with deadly design flaws.
Impaired driving
As the California Highway Patrol concluded that speeding and impaired driving played a role in the crash, the families of the victims argue that this does not absolve Tesla of responsibility.
“They [Tesla] will try to shift the blame to Mr. Dixon, anyone but themselves. However, this vehicle should never have trapped these individuals and my clients’ daughter. It’s our way of holding the wrongdoer accountable and rectifying bad behavior,” Dreyer stated.
Controversial Cybertruck
Tesla introduced the Cybertruck in late 2023, attracting significant media coverage. However, in less than two years, it has turned into one of the most debated models in the company’s history – beset by numerous recalls, falling sales, and increasing legal challenges.
As investigations proceed and lawsuits advance, the focus sharpens on Tesla’s design decisions – and whether adequate measures are being taken to ensure the safety of those driving their advanced vehicles.
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