Lawsuit Details Horrifying 911 Call Before Tesla Driver Died While Trapped Inside Car

Tesla Under Fire Again: Family Sues Over Fatal Crash, Alleges Design Flaw Trapped Driver in Burning Model Y

Tesla is once again in the crosshairs of a wrongful death lawsuit, this time over allegations that a critical design flaw in its electric vehicles trapped a young driver inside a burning car after a crash. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Massachusetts, centers on the tragic death of 20-year-old Samuel Tremblett, who perished in a fiery crash last October.

According to court documents, Tremblett was driving a 2021 Tesla Model Y when he struck a tree in Easton, Massachusetts, around 1 a.m. on October 29. The impact triggered a catastrophic fire, and despite his desperate attempts to escape, Tremblett was unable to open the car’s doors. Trapped inside, he succumbed to thermal injuries and smoke inhalation before first responders could reach him.

The lawsuit includes a chilling excerpt from Tremblett’s 911 call, capturing his final, harrowing moments:

“I’m stuck in a car crash… I can’t get out, please help me… I can’t breathe…. It’s on fire, it’s on fire. Help please… I am going to die… I’m dying. Help. [… I’m dying… Help… Help.”

First responders arrived to find the fire too intense to safely extract Tremblett, with four separate explosions occurring within the first ten minutes of their arrival. The lawsuit paints a grim picture of a young life cut short, raising urgent questions about the safety of Tesla’s vehicle design.

At the heart of the lawsuit is Tesla’s controversial electric door handle system. The suit alleges that during an electrical system failure—a known issue in Tesla vehicles—the electronic door handles can malfunction, leaving occupants unable to exit. While Teslas are equipped with manual door releases, the lawsuit argues that their “inconspicuous location and markings” make them difficult to locate, especially in high-stress situations like a post-crash fire.

The lawsuit includes images from the Model Y owner’s manual, which show that the front door mechanical releases are located near the window switches. For rear passengers, the process is even more convoluted: they must first remove a mat from the bottom of the door pocket and then pull a tab to access a release cable. The manual also notes that not all Model Ys are equipped with manual releases for rear doors, adding another layer of complexity to an already dire situation.

This isn’t the first time Tesla’s door design has come under scrutiny. Federal regulators have been investigating the issue for months. In September, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary probe into Tesla’s electrically powered door handles in 2021 Model Y vehicles, the same model involved in Tremblett’s crash. The ongoing review covers nearly 175,000 vehicles and aims to determine the scope and severity of the problem.

The lawsuit is part of a growing wave of legal action against Tesla over its door design. In October, the parents of two college students who died in a Cybertruck crash filed separate lawsuits, alleging that the truck’s electric doors with hidden manual releases trapped the victims inside. A Bloomberg investigation last year found at least 15 deaths in a dozen incidents over the past decade in which occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a crashed Tesla that caught fire.

The issue isn’t confined to the United States. This week, China announced it is banning hidden door handles on cars starting next year, requiring all vehicles to include a mechanical release function. The move underscores growing global concerns about the safety of Tesla’s design choices.

Tesla has yet to respond to the lawsuit, and the company’s representatives did not immediately reply to Gizmodo’s request for comment. However, the mounting legal and regulatory pressure suggests that the electric vehicle giant may need to reevaluate its approach to vehicle safety.

As the lawsuit unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of prioritizing innovation over safety. For Samuel Tremblett’s family, the fight for justice is not just about holding Tesla accountable—it’s about ensuring that no other family has to endure the same heartbreak.

Tags: Tesla lawsuit, Tesla door handles, Tesla safety, wrongful death lawsuit, Tesla Model Y, electric vehicle safety, NHTSA investigation, Tesla fire, Tesla design flaw, Cybertruck crash, hidden door handles, Tesla recall, Tesla controversy, vehicle safety standards, Tesla legal issues

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