19-year-old arts student Krysta Tsukahara lost her life in a crash with a Tesla Cybertruck. Her parents have recently followed through on this by suing the electric vehicle maker. Epoch Times A driver plowed into a group of kids playing soccer in San Mateo, California—just south of San Francisco—after apparently losing control of their vehicle. They were intoxicated with alcohol and drugs when they hit a tree. Tragically, Tsukahara became stuck in the burning vehicle. Her family attributes the tragically haunting circumstance to a glaring design flaw in the Tesla.
On the night of the crash, the driver and two other young people on board lost their lives. Tsukahara’s parents argue their daughter was unable to get away from the fire. They suspect a design flaw created a situation in which it was almost impossible for her to have opened the door. Thankfully, one bystander was able to react in time. After breaking a window, they got the fourth passenger out of the vehicle.
The lawsuit claims that Tesla has been aware of this design flaw for years. Yet, the company has not done anything to remedy it. This assertion raises troubling questions about the company’s actual commitment to sensibility and vehicle safety. More importantly, it’s an attempt to calm American consumers’ fears that its cars won’t be safe enough to operate with no driver at all.
Tesla, which has played a significant role in elevating Elon Musk to become the world’s richest man, is currently facing increased scrutiny over its vehicles’ safety features. Last month, an Orlando, Florida jury issued a shocking verdict. They upheld more than $240 million in damages against the company for the family of a wave-raiding college student senselessly killed by a runaway Tesla. This decision only adds to troubling allegations about the safety and reliability of Tesla’s vehicles, following in the wake of other recent incidents.
It’s the lawsuit filed by Tsukahara’s parents that’s gotten nationwide media attention. As you may recall, the New York Times was one of the first media outlets to cover the case. Tesla has been struggling through each of these ongoing concerns. The burden is on the company to show that its vehicles will be safe in all circumstances.
