'Defective Design' Trapped Her: Parents of Krysta Tsukahara Killed In Cybertruck Crash

The parents of Krysta Michelle Tsukahara, a 20-year-old art student who died in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash last year, have filed an amended lawsuit against the electric vehicle giant, alleging fatal design flaws that prevented their daughter from escaping the burning vehicle.

Filed by attorney Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP, the complaint accuses Tesla of negligence in the design of the Cybertruck's door release system. According to the lawsuit, Tsukahara survived the initial impact of the crash but was trapped inside the vehicle after it lost electrical power, rendering the electronic door buttons inoperable.

"Due to the defective design of the subject vehicle, the collision and subsequent loss of electrical power caused the electronic door release system to fail," the complaint states. "As a direct result, Decedent Krysta Michelle Tsukahara and the other occupants were unable to open the doors and were trapped inside the vehicle."

The suit highlights the Cybertruck's reliance on low-voltage electronic buttons for door operation, which become useless in the event of a crash or fire. For rear passengers, the only manual escape option is a hidden wire loop buried beneath the door lining - a mechanism the family argues is impractical and dangerous in emergencies.

Tsukahara was reportedly conscious after the crash and attempted to escape with the help of a Good Samaritan, who tried to pull her through the front passenger window. Both were pushed back by flames and heat. She ultimately died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries.

Krysta's father, Carl Tsukahara, expressed anguish over the circumstances of her death.

"We've had to endure not only the loss of our daughter, but the silence surrounding how this happened and why she couldn't get out," he said in a press release. "This company is worth a trillion dollars-how can you release a machine that's not safe in so many ways?"

The lawsuit also names the estates of Soren Mangseth Dixon, the driver, and Charles Patterson, the vehicle's owner, as defendants. Dixon, Tsukahara, and another passenger, Jack Nelson, died in the crash. A fourth occupant survived and was hospitalized. Autopsy reports revealed Dixon had alcohol, cocaine, and meth in his system, while Tsukahara and Nelson tested positive for alcohol and cocaine.
Krysta Tsukahara was a sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design, remembered by her family as a bright and compassionate young woman with a promising future.

Tesla has not responded to the amended complaint.