Grieving father files lawsuit after horrific Cybertruck crash: 'It still haunts us every day'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
The father of Krysta Tsukahara, one of three college students who died in a Cybertruck crash in California in November, filed a lawsuit against the driver's family to access the vehicle and better understand what caused the tragic accident.
What happened?
According to Bloomberg, the driver and two passengers, including Krysta, were killed when the truck ran into a tree on a neighborhood street and caught fire. Carl Tsukahara, Krysta's father, said he's trying to find out more information about the crash and what led to it.
In an interview with the news outlet, Tsukahara said he wondered why the driver was behind the wheel, considering a toxicology report showed high levels of alcohol and drugs in his system.
The wrongful death suit filed in Alameda County Superior Court was brought against the driver's family and doesn't list Tesla as a defendant. Tsukahara's lawyer, Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, said he is waiting for permission to access the vehicle to obtain data from Tesla to investigate what happened.
The lawsuit includes unnamed "Doe" defendants, which gives the Tsukahara family the option to add Tesla if the investigation shows the company was partially responsible for the crash.
"Defendants negligently entrusted, managed, maintained, drove, operated, repaired, manufactured and designed the subject vehicle so as to cause the collision and the resulting injuries and damages to plaintiffs," according to the complaint, per Bloomberg.
An autopsy revealed Krysta's death wasn't caused by injuries from the crash. It showed she died of asphyxiation when she couldn't open the Cybertruck doors and wasn't able to escape through a broken window before the fire overwhelmed the vehicle.
A witness who attempted to rescue Krysta and the others told police: "Krysta tried to come up, sticking her head from the back. I grabbed her arm to try to pull her towards me but she retreated because of the fire." They were able to save one passenger before the flames engulfed the vehicle, killing the driver and another passenger.
"It still haunts us every day, and it will for the rest of our life," Carl Tsukahara told Bloomberg. "She died a horrible death and suffered."
Why is the Cybertruck crash concerning?
This isn't the first report of a Cybertruck catching fire after a crash. Last year, a Cybertruck driver died when the vehicle slammed into a concrete culvert and erupted into flames in the Houston area, per KHOU. In Harlingen, Texas, a Cybertruck caught fire after hitting a hydrant, but the driver was reportedly unharmed, according to Road and Track.
While the Cybertruck earned a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicle has been recalled eight times since its launch in 2023 because of safety issues, including an exterior panel that could detach while the vehicle was being driven and an accelerator pedal that could become stuck.
People have also criticized the vehicle for having nearly indestructible doors and windows. While this may seem like a positive thing, it can be dangerous if the Cybertruck catches fire and makes it difficult to rescue people.
The latest tragedy involving the Cybertruck could make people reluctant to support Tesla, especially amid the company's plummeting profits and stock prices as well as CEO Elon Musk's involvement in politics.
That said, electric vehicles help consumers save money on gas and maintenance, and they're much better for the environment than polluting gas-guzzlers. According to Teslarati, Tesla remains the most popular electric vehicle brand in the U.S., but there are other EV makers to choose from, including Nissan, Ford, and Hyundai.
What's being done to help?
Tesla announced that the Cybertruck will receive a high-tech upgrade that includes new tire sensors to improve performance and safety.
It's worth noting that Cybertrucks generally fare well in crashes because of their stainless steel body and low center of gravity. However, high-speed collisions, particularly those involving impact to the lithium-ion battery, can cause fires.
It's unknown exactly how fast the driver was going, but speed contributed to the severity of the crash.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Better EV Stock: Alphabet vs. Tesla (Hint: Robotaxis Are the Key)
Key Points The future of the auto industry lies in electric vehicles and ridesharing in autonomous vehicles. After many years in service, Waymo still can't point to a timeline of profitability. Tesla also faces challenges with its robotaxi offering, but it's well positioned, provided it can demonstrate safety and efficacy. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) isn't, strictly speaking, an electric vehicle (EV) company. However, its autonomous driving technology company, Waymo, is committed to only using EVs in its fleet. Funnily enough, it could be argued that Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) isn't really a pure EV company either. After all, most of its sky–high valuation is attributable to the potential of its robotaxis. However, the comparison of these two as EV companies is valid because the future of the auto industry is EVs, and ridesharing in autonomous vehicles will be a larger part of the industry in the future. But which company is better placed, and which is the better stock? Alphabet vs. Tesla It's entirely possible that Alphabet could decide to spin off Waymo, not least because it reportedly could be valued at more than $45 billion. Meanwhile, one of Tesla's biggest supporters, Cathie Wood's Ark Invest, ascribes 88% of Tesla's enterprise value (market cap plus net debt) to robotaxis in its investment case for the stock, producing an expected value of $2,600 for the stock in 2029. As I have previously discussed, the Ark targets should be taken with a pinch of salt, as its track record on Tesla hasn't been good. However, Ark's core argument is sound and points to Tesla being potentially a far more valuable stock than Waymo ever will be. Pathways to profitability The core argument is that Tesla's business model is scalable to profitability while Waymo's is far less so. The issue of Waymo's profitability arose in a recent CNBC interview with Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, where she was asked whether Waymo is profitable. She replied, "We're proving out that it can be a profitable business." When asked when Waymo would be profitable, she replied, "not clear." It's also not clear if Alphabet/Waymo doesn't have an internal forecast for when it will hit profitability, or if Mawakana preferred not to divulge what the company considers an uncertain forecast. However, it's inconceivable that Alphabet is not internally crunching the numbers on this, and if it does decide to spin off Waymo, it's a question that needs to be answered. The point here is that a business that can't be profitable isn't worth anything, let alone $45 billion, so at some point, its management is going to have to set some timelines. Tesla and timelines Whereas investors need to hear more about timelines from Waymo, whose public self-driving ride-hailing service was launched in 2018, there's probably a need for fewer declared timelines from Tesla, or, rather, a need for more accurate ones. For example, in 2019, CEO Elon Musk famously told investors to expect a million self-driving vehicles on the road by mid-2020. In April 2022, he also stated that Tesla aspired to reach volume production of a dedicated robotaxi (Cybercab) in 2024 -- a timeline that has now been pushed back to 2026. These timeline estimates matter because plugging overly optimistic assumptions from them into valuation models can produce dramatically erroneous conclusions. Why Tesla is better positioned With all that said, Tesla has clear advantages over Waymo, provided it can demonstrate safety and reliability and achieve regulatory approvals. Its advantages include: Lower vehicle costs, with Musk aiming for a $30,000 price tag for a dedicated robotaxi, the Cybercab. Meanwhile, Wall Street analysts estimate Waymo's current vehicles cost more than $120,000. In addition, Tesla manufactures its own cars (Waymo does not), and existing Teslas can be converted into robotaxis using Tesla's as-yet-unreleased-to-the-public unsupervised full self-driving (FSD) software, giving Tesla a significant advantage in scaling the robotaxi business. Tesla's use of camera-centric technology is inherently less expensive than Waymo's combination of cameras, light detection and ranging (Lidar) lasers, and high-definition maps. Every Tesla car (robotaxi or not) on the road is effectively a data gatherer, with the data used to improve the AI that powers its AI models. As such, even though Waymo was first, Tesla has significantly more data than Waymo. Which is the better EV stock? Waymo may become profitable in the future, particularly if Lidar costs continue to drop. However, it's challenging to think that it will be a strong competitor to Tesla, provided Musk's company can master safe, unsupervised FSD using a camera-centric approach. That's a big "if" at this stage, but it becomes a smaller "if" as time goes by and Tesla expands its nascent robotaxi offering across new geographies. Tesla's next robotaxi launch is expected to be in Phoenix, as it plans to continue slowly building its robotaxi business. I think Tesla is the better EV stock when comparing Tesla and Alphabet. Should you buy stock in Tesla right now? The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Better EV Stock: Alphabet vs. Tesla (Hint: Robotaxis Are the Key) was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tesla (TSLA) Misses on Q2 Earnings, But Morgan Stanley Still Says Buy
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the . On July 24, Morgan Stanley reiterated the stock as 'Overweight' with a $410 price target. Morgan Stanley says Tesla remains a top pick following the company's earnings report on Wednesday. The electric vehicle maker reported a top and bottom line miss on second-quarter results, with automotive revenue falling 16% year-on-year to $16.7 billion. While Analyst Adam Jonas is a well-known Tesla bull, he has lowered his fiscal year 2025 earnings per share expectations by 14% as opposed to prior forecasts. Lower deliveries and higher operating expenses have caused this change. '2Q numbers were a slight beat with FCF near break-even. Tesla is crossing the chasm to autonomy while absorbing slower volume, EV incentive elimination, tariffs and investing in new initiatives that may not make margins for years." Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is an automotive and clean energy company that leverages advanced artificial intelligence in its autonomous driving technology and robotics initiatives. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tesla Ordered to Buy Back Model S Plaid After Brake Failure Ruling
Tesla Ordered to Buy Back Model S Plaid After Brake Failure Ruling originally appeared on Autoblog. A Norwegian court has ordered Tesla to buy back a Model S Plaid after a catastrophic brake failure during a track day, marking one of the most damning legal defeats for the automaker in recent memory. The Oslo District Court ruled in favor of the owner, Vilhelm Dybwad, who reached out to The Drive about the incident, after the high-performance EV failed to complete even a single lap without overheating its brakes—despite being advertised as a track-ready court found Tesla's marketing claims to be misleading and ruled that the $150,000 vehicle was sold under false pretenses. Tesla must now refund the full purchase price, pay interest, and cover legal fees—adding up to nearly $150,000 in total compensation. What Happened on Track? Dybwad's Model S Plaid experienced total brake fade at Rudskogen Motorsenter, Norway's most demanding racetrack, on its very first hot lap. The failure was immediate and severe: the car's brake system overheated almost instantly, flashing warning messages and rendering the car unsafe for track owner filed suit under Norway's strong consumer protection laws. The court found that Tesla had marketed the Model S Plaid as 'track-capable' without equipping it with proper hardware to survive a performance environment. Tesla's defense—that a carbon-ceramic brake package was coming later—was not deemed sufficient, as it wasn't available at the time of purchase. Marketing Promises Versus Reality Tesla has long walked a fine line between performance bragging rights and practical durability. In this case, its own ads—including a Nürburgring campaign and various Plaid promo clips—were used as evidence of deceptive claims. This ruling comes at a time when Tesla is also facing significant pressure in the U.S. over how it markets its driver-assist this week, the company published a new safety report claiming its Autopilot system is significantly safer than manual driving, stating that cars using Autopilot went over six million miles between crashes in Q2. But critics argue that real-world user experience often paints a more inconsistent inconsistency has become a legal liability. In California, Tesla is now facing a potential 30-day sales ban over allegations of misleading advertising regarding its 'Full Self-Driving' and 'Autopilot' systems—terms regulators argue are dangerously inaccurate. More Trouble Ahead The buyback ruling could set a precedent in Europe and beyond, particularly for owners who have pushed the Model S or Model X beyond their daily comfort zones. Although Tesla has already launched track packages for newer Model S units—complete with upgraded brakes—this case highlights a wider problem for the company: the disparity between its marketing and real-world also comes amid growing global competition. In China, Tesla faces a serious threat from Dongfeng's new M-Hero M817, an off-road-capable hybrid SUV that racked up 10,000 pre-orders in just 24 hours. The M817's broad capability and local appeal make it a formidable rival in a market where Tesla's position has become less secure. What This Means for Owners and Enthusiasts For Model S Plaid owners, the takeaway is clear: despite its straight-line speed and headline-grabbing horsepower, the Plaid may not be as versatile as Tesla claims. Unless fitted with the appropriate hardware—and driven within its limits—the car may not meet the expectations its marketing has this case sparks more lawsuits is unclear. But it's certainly part of a broader reckoning Tesla faces—not just for its product claims, but for its relationship with regulators and consumers worldwide. Tesla Ordered to Buy Back Model S Plaid After Brake Failure Ruling first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 25, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
