Local News
The wrongful death suit claims the Massachusetts driver survived the crash but died from thermal injuries after being unable to escape.
Samuel Tremblett was driving a Tesla in the afternoon of Oct. 29 when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a tree off Route 138 in Easton. Immediately after the crash, the car burst into flames.
As described in a lawsuit filed Wednesday by his mother, Jacquelyn, against Tesla in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Tremblett, 20, survived the crash but was unable to exit the vehicle because the electric door handles were inoperable.
In a harrowing 911 call — a transcript of which was included in the complaint — Tremblett said, “I’m stuck in a car crash,” and, “I can’t get out, please help me.” He continued, “I can’t breathe. … It’s on fire … I’m going to die.”
Although first responders arrived quickly, the police report noted that they were unable to extinguish the fire or remove Tremblett from the car due to the severity of the blaze.
The report says that police officers heard four explosions during the first 10 minutes they were at the crash scene.
Firefighters spent four hours putting out the fire. First responders found Tremblett’s remains in the back seat of the car.
The suit says Tremblett was driving a 2021 Tesla Model Y. Following the collision, it says, the Tesla “erupted in flames,” trapping him inside, where he “sustained catastrophic thermal” and “smoke inhalation” injuries, causing his death.
Deadly electric door handles
Tesla began equipping its vehicles with sleek, electric door handles that are flush with the door in 2014. The handles extend when a driver approaches a car with the key.
The electric door handles do not extend in the event of an electrical system failure, such as in a crash, the suit says. The interior door handles are also electronic.
While the car has manual door releases, the suit says, they are not clearly marked or intuitive to use, especially for someone who needs to exit quickly.
Tesla vehicles use lithium-ion batteries that can experience “thermal runaway,” a condition where damaged batteries overheat and ignite, causing a fast-spreading fire that is difficult to extinguish.
The lawsuit lists 17 cases dating back to 2016 in which Tesla has received reports of adults and children trapped in vehicles during thermal runaway events.
“In other words, these individuals burned to death,” the suit says.
The cases detailed in the lawsuit mirror a December Bloomberg analysis of the dangers of electric handles. The report found that 15 people died in crashes in which Tesla doors wouldn’t open since November 2024.
In addition, U.S. auto safety regulators are now probing whether Tesla’s door handles are defective.
China has also announced it is banning hidden door handles on cars, saying all car doors must include a mechanical handle-release mechanism beginning next year, according to CBS News.
The policy aims to address safety concerns following fatal EV accidents in China, making it the first country to formalize these concerns into a national safety standard.
Tesla did not return a request for comment.
Easton case
Tremblett’s mother is demanding $25 million for compensatory damages in the wrongful death suit.
She is also seeking a jury trial and compensation for attorney’s fees. Tesla has not responded yet to the civil case.
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