The families of Krysta Tsukahara and Jack Nelson, two of the three victims in a fatal Piedmont Tesla Cybertruck crash last November, filed a lawsuit against Tesla in an Alameda County court on Thursday, alleging the vehicle’s design failed to provide a manual door to allow them to escape the vehicle.
The filing represents an escalation in the pursuit by families of legal remedies connected to the deadly crash in late November 2024, taking aim at the Cybertruck automaker which has come under scrutiny for eight recalls since 2024 and ongoing concerns about battery combustion.
“Her death was preventable. She was alive after the crash. She called out for help. And she couldn’t get out. We are filing this lawsuit not just for accountability, but because there are other families out there who may never know the risks until it’s too late,” Krysta’s parents, Carl and Noelle Tsukahara, said in a statement.
The Tsukaharas’ lawsuit alleges Tesla had ignored concerns from customers, bystanders and first responders about the company’s reliance on electronic doors for its vehicles, according to the complaint. Tesla was aware of the threats its electronic doors posed to vehicle occupants, according to the lawsuit, but continued to “design, market and sell” vehicles with this feature.
“Consumers lodged dozens of complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), many warning that rear-seat passengers — especially children — could be trapped inside during a crash or a fire,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit filed by Nelson’s parents similarly calls out the Cybertruck’s door design and the low-voltage electricity on which they rely. Nelson, too, was alive after the crash, but died from smoke inhalation and burns after becoming trapped inside.
“The four young people in the Cybertruck were close friends and outstanding individuals, each on the verge of making meaningful contributions in the world,” Todd and Stannye Nelson, Jack’s parents, said in a statement released by their attorney. “They were all victims of Tesla’s unsafe design. Their deaths and injuries have devastated everyone who knew them. The impact has been felt not only in Piedmont but also far beyond — including the University of Colorado where Jack was a student and deeply mourned by his friends and classmates.”
In their statement, the Nelsons also added: “Because of the way the law works, the Nelsons were also required to name two estates as defendants. They do not seek to punish any families.”
The lawsuits call out Tesla CEO Elon Musk for being personally aware of the problems with Tesla vehicles’ doors. At a 2013 earnings call, Musk acknowledged these issues, saying that “occasionally the sensor would malfunction … so you’d pull on the door handle and it wouldn’t open.” Musk assured investors that the design flaw had been fixed, even as failures continued to happen for years, with the lawsuit citing more than 30 examples of customers’ complaints about Tesla vehicles’ doors refusing to open.
On Nov. 27, 2024, Krysta Tsukahara, after returning home for Thanksgiving break from Savannah College of Arts and Design, attended a party with other graduates of Piedmont High School. The party, held at a private residence, included alcohol consumption by minors.
Around 3 a.m., Soren Dixon, 19, convinced Tsukahara and a handful of other partygoers to go to his home in the 6800 block of Estates Drive to pick up a Cybertruck that was owned by his grandfather, according to court documents. Dixon drove the Cybertruck with Nelson, 20, Jordan Miller, 19, and Tsukahara as his passengers as they drove along Hampton Avenue toward another Piedmont residence, according to authorities.
Dixon had consumed approximately eight alcoholic beverages that evening, according to an unidentified witness in a California Highway Patrol report. Dixon’s autopsy also confirmed the presence of 180 nanograms of cocaine and 55 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter of blood at the time of the crash.
Just blocks away from their destination, Dixon accelerated out of a stop sign, crashed into a tree and struck a retaining wall, police said. Another Piedmont High graduate, Matt Riordan, had followed in a vehicle behind the Cybertruck when he came upon the wreck as flames began to consume the vehicle. Riordan used a tree branch to break the passenger door window, where he pulled Miller from the vehicle. He returned moments later to try and save Tsukahara, Nelson and Dixon.
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Victims of the Piedmont, Calif. Cybertruck accident from left to right, Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and, Krysta Tsukahara. (Courtesy photos)
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Victims of the Piedmont, Calif. Cybertruck accident from left to right, Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and, Krysta Tsukahara. (Courtesy photos)
“I could hear Krysta yelling and the car saying ‘crash detected,’ ” Riordan told authorities, according to court documents. “I went back to the broken window and yelled for them to try to get out at this window. … Krysta tried to come up, sticking her head (out) from the back, I grabbed her arm to try and pull her towards me, but she retreated because of the fire.”
In April, the Tsukaharas filed a lawsuit against Dixon’s family, claiming they had been barred from accessing the vehicle and kept in the dark by the other families affected by the crash. The Tsukaharas alleged that Dixon “negligently and carelessly drove” the vehicle, causing their daughter’s death.
The Tsukaharas’ latest lawsuit blames Tesla, too, claiming its “negligent” door design caused the sudden and tragic death of their daughter.
“Krysta was a bright light in our lives — an honors student, a creative soul, and a beloved daughter,” Carl and Noelle Tsukahara said in a statement. “We never want this to happen to anyone else.”
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