Something about the crash that night in California never quite sat right.
The mangled Cybertruck, the towering flames, the fact that no one could get out. A vehicle marketed as “virtually indestructible” had, in a matter of seconds, turned into a burning cage for three young lives. And as investigators began piecing together what happened, the story only grew darker.
Nineteen-year-old Krysta Tsukahara should have walked away from the accident. She’d survived the impact with minor injuries. But what followed—those last unbearable moments inside a high-tech vehicle that became a death trap—changed everything.
A Reunion That Ended in Fire
It happened on the night of November 27, 2024. Krysta, along with close friends Soren Dixon (19) and Jack Nelson (20), were back home in Piedmont for Thanksgiving break. It should have been an ordinary night with old friends. Instead, their Cybertruck veered off the road and slammed into a retaining wall. The futuristic vehicle erupted in flames within seconds.
By the time first responders arrived, the truck was already engulfed. All three friends inside were trapped. Only one person would make it out alive.
Jordan Miller, seated on the passenger side, was pulled from the burning cabin by another friend who happened to be driving behind them. Witnesses say it took more than a dozen desperate strikes with a tree branch to break the reinforced glass. Miller was dragged to safety seconds before the flames consumed the truck.
Toxicology results later revealed that Dixon, who had been driving, had a blood alcohol level of 0.195—more than twice the legal limit—and also tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine. Krysta and Jack had alcohol and cocaine in their systems as well.
Locked In When It Mattered Most
What makes this tragedy stand apart is what happened after the crash. According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Krysta’s parents, the Cybertruck’s electronic door system failed when the vehicle’s 12-volt power supply shut down upon impact. That failure reportedly left the doors locked, trapping the passengers inside.
Tesla vehicles do include a manual door release, but the lawsuit argues that in this model it was nearly impossible to find or use—especially in a dark, smoke-filled cabin with fire spreading rapidly. Bystanders tried to pull Krysta out through a window but were forced back by the growing flames. She died from smoke inhalation and severe burns.
“This wasn’t just a crash,” said family attorney Roger Dreyer in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was a preventable death caused by a design flaw Tesla has known about for years.”
Families Demand Accountability
The Tsukahara and Nelson families are suing both Tesla and the estate of the vehicle’s owner, accusing the company of “conscious disregard for human safety.” They argue that Tesla prioritized sleek design and futuristic tech over basic life-saving mechanisms—like clear, accessible manual overrides.
Krysta’s father, Carl Tsukahara, told Fox Digital:
“My daughter survived the crash. She should have walked away. Instead, she was locked in a car we were told was one of the safest on the road.”
The rear seat’s manual release, according to the lawsuit, was small, hard to see, and tucked away where no passenger could realistically find it in an emergency.
A Broader Battle Over Safety
Authorities confirmed that speed and substance use were primary factors in causing the crash. But the families insist that doesn’t absolve Tesla of its role. As Dreyer put it:
“We’re not saying the driver was blameless. But a car shouldn’t turn into a coffin because its doors stop working.”
Tesla’s Cybertruck, launched in late 2023 to enormous fanfare, has faced repeated questions about its durability, production quality, and software reliability. This case could become a legal turning point—testing how far carmakers can go with fully electronic systems before they compromise basic human safety.
A Tragedy That Could Have Been Prevented
Krysta’s death is more than a tragic footnote in Tesla’s history. It’s a stark reminder of what can happen when innovation outruns safety. A night that began with laughter among friends ended in unimaginable horror—because the very vehicle designed to protect them became their prison.
The lawsuits won’t bring Krysta back. But her family hopes they’ll force accountability, and perhaps spark a reckoning for an industry that often prioritizes the cutting edge over common sense.
For Carl Tsukahara, justice isn’t about a payout. It’s about making sure no one else is ever trapped inside a machine that refuses to let them live.