Four people have lost their lives in Toronto after their Tesla vehicle caught fire in a crash, with electronic doors reportedly failing to open during the tragic incident.
The fatal accident occurred on October 24, claiming the lives of Jay Sisodiya, Digvijay Patel, Neelraj Gohil, and his sister Ketaba Gohil, aged between 26 and 32.
The vehicle reportedly lost control before crashing into a guardrail and bursting into flames.
A sole survivor, a 25-year-old woman, was only able to escape after a Canada Post worker broke through one of the car’s windows, as the electronic door mechanisms appeared to malfunction.
One woman did manage to escape
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Rick Harper, the Canada Post employee who saved the survivor, described the harrowing rescue attempt to the Toronto Star.
“You couldn’t open the doors. I would assume the young lady would have tried to open the door from the inside, because she was pretty desperate to get out,” Harper recalled.
He added: “I don’t know if that was the battery or what. But she couldn’t get out.”
Harper was forced to break a window to free the woman from the burning vehicle. Due to the intense smoke filling the car, Harper was unaware there were other passengers trapped inside.
A fire department expert has explained why Tesla’s electronic doors can pose risks during accidents.
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The vehicle was destroyed
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Randy Schmitz, captain with the Calgary Fire Department and chairman of Alberta Vehicle Extrication Association, noted that Tesla’s electric doors require power to function.
He warned that if a crash cuts power to the vehicle, the doors become “inoperable using the normal buttons.”
The intensity of the fire was particularly severe due to the vehicle’s battery system.
Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop told CBC: “Certainly the intensity of the fire is directly linked to the battery cells in the Tesla.”
Despite the tragic incident, Tesla maintains its vehicles are among the safest in the world.
Tesla maintains its vehicles are among the safest in the world
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In a safety report, the car manufacturer highlighted its vehicles’ safety credentials, particularly regarding their battery systems.
The report stated: “Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y have achieved among the lowest overall probability of injury of any vehicles ever tested by the U.S. government’s New Car Assessment Program.”
Tesla claims this safety record is largely due to their battery pack design, which provides “exceptional strength, large crumple zones, and a uniquely low center of gravity.”
The company insists their battery packs “rarely incur serious damage in accidents.”
Tesla’s report also addressed fire safety, claiming their “state-of-the-art design” ensures the safety system “isolates a fire to select areas within the battery while simultaneously venting heat away from the passenger cabin.”