Trapped in Flames: Tesla’s Electronic Door System Under Scrutiny After Deadly Crash in Germany
At first, neighbors thought the noise was just a tire blowout. Moments later, flames shot into the sky, and screams shattered the night. A Tesla had crashed into a tree in western Germany, trapping a father and his two children inside. As rescuers rushed to the scene, they faced a horrifying reality: the car’s electronic doors wouldn’t open. Every second lost was a life slipping away.
On September 7, a tragic accident claimed the lives of a 43-year-old man and two nine-year-old children when their Tesla collided with a tree and erupted into flames. A third child, also nine, escaped the inferno and was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries.
Witnesses described the scene as unbearable. Roman Jedrzejewski, a paint shop owner near the crash site, rushed forward with a fire extinguisher, desperate to help. “I wanted to save them,” he told Ruhr News. “I tried everything—breaking the door, spraying the fire—but nothing worked. The heat was unbearable. One side of the car wasn’t even damaged, and still, I couldn’t get them out.” Fighting back tears, he admitted, “Damn it, I didn’t help. I couldn’t.”
Tesla vehicles use electronic door handles that retract into the body of the car. In a power failure, these systems can become unresponsive. Although manual door releases exist inside the vehicle, younger passengers might not know how to use them or reach them quickly enough.
This tragedy has reignited long-standing concerns. Earlier this year, Germany’s automobile association (ADAC) warned that Tesla’s retractable door handles could pose significant safety risks during emergencies. Just last week, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into over 170,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles following reports of malfunctioning door handles.
The incident sadly echoes previous tragedies. In 2023, four teenagers died in Toronto when their Tesla caught fire after a crash, and electronic doors failed to open, trapping them inside.
🔹 Conclusion
What began as sleek, futuristic design has become the center of a life-and-death controversy. The heartbreaking loss of a father and his two children in Germany has intensified scrutiny over whether Tesla’s innovations prioritize style over safety. For the bystanders who desperately tried to save them, the trauma will linger forever. For regulators, the urgent question remains: how many more tragedies will it take before meaningful change happens?