They Thought They Were Safe, But What Happened Inside That Tesla Will Shock You!

A tragic incident unfolded on October 24 when a Tesla Model Y crashed and caught fire, leaving four friends dead and one woman lucky to survive. The cause of the crash, which occurred along Lake Shore Boulevard East in Toronto, remains under investigation. However, it’s the vehicle’s electronic door system and its failure to function after the crash that has sparked widespread concern.

The crash occurred at high speed, and according to reports, the electric car smashed into a guardrail. The wreckage quickly turned into a fiery inferno, trapping the passengers inside. While the four victims, Neelraj Gohil (25), his sister Ketaba Gohil (29), Jay Sisodiya, and Digvijay Patel, all perished in the flames, one woman, in her 20s, miraculously survived. The reason for her survival is partly thanks to Rick Harper, a brave Canada Post employee, who used a metal pole to smash the window of the burning Tesla and help her escape.

Harper has since recounted the harrowing ordeal, revealing the difficulty the woman faced in trying to escape. According to him, “she couldn’t open the doors” from inside the wrecked vehicle. Tesla’s vehicles, including the Model Y involved in the crash, rely on electronic door handles that open with the push of a button. However, when a car is involved in a high-impact crash, the electronic systems can fail, rendering the doors inoperable.

The woman, Harper says, appeared desperate to get out of the car, and he assumed she likely tried to open the door before he broke the window. “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 explained. “I don’t know if that was the battery or what. But she couldn’t get out.”

Once Harper managed to break the window, the woman scrambled out head-first, but he didn’t immediately realize the full extent of the situation. The smoke was so thick, he could not see clearly inside the car. He could not know if the other passengers were also struggling to escape or if they were already unconscious.

This heart-wrenching incident raises important questions about the safety features of electric vehicles, particularly Teslas. While Tesla markets its vehicles as having a “safety-first design” and claims they are “the safest in the world,” the tragedy has highlighted vulnerabilities in the system. The Tesla Model Y, like many modern electric vehicles, has a manual override feature in the event of a crash. However, experts argue that this feature is not widely advertised, and may be difficult to use in the panic of a serious accident.

The manual override involves removing a panel inside the door and pulling a cable that can unlock the door. But in a chaotic, high-stress situation, it’s unclear if crash victims, in their panic, would be able to locate and operate this mechanism. “Crash victims may be too panicked or dazed to search for the feature after an accident,” experts have pointed out.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating several cases involving the Tesla Model Y, the same vehicle involved in this deadly crash. These investigations include concerns about “unexpected brake activation” and “sudden unintended acceleration,” which point to potential safety flaws that could affect the overall performance and safety of the vehicle in an accident.

As investigators work to determine the exact cause of the crash, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of vehicle design choices, especially in high-tech electric cars. While Tesla’s emphasis on innovation and advanced features is commendable, the question remains: Are these vehicles truly as safe as the company claims, especially when their complex systems fail in critical moments?

The community, and indeed, car owners everywhere, are left grappling with the heartbreaking reality of what can go wrong when safety features malfunction. The death of four young lives, and the narrow escape of the fifth, underline the importance of ensuring that all aspects of vehicle safety are tested, reliable, and ready for the unpredictable nature of real-world accidents.

This tragedy also shines a light on the need for clearer guidelines and better education for both consumers and first responders when it comes to emergency procedures for modern, tech-heavy vehicles. As new technologies continue to shape the future of transportation, ensuring they function properly in life-and-death situations must remain a top priority.

The victims’ families, who are still processing the loss of their loved ones, deserve answers, and as investigations continue, we hope their questions about the safety and reliability of such vehicles are addressed with the urgency this tragedy demands.