Latest news with #BeachCity
Auto Blog
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Fatal Tesla Cybertruck crash triggers lawsuit
View post: 2013 Honda Accord Owners: Your Car Might Have An Essential Part That Could Break Wrongful Death Suit May Be First Involving The Electric Truck The family of a Texas man who died last year in a burning Tesla Cybertruck after a crash is suing the automaker, alleging that safety issues contributed to the fatality. The wrongful death suit appears to be the first against Tesla involving a Cybertruck, Axios reports. Filed June 13 in Harris County, which contains most of Houston, the lawsuit alleges that Michael Sheehan was driving his Cybertruck near Beach City, about 30 miles east of Houston, when his vehicle left the roadway and flipped into a ditch in August 2024. But the lawsuit claims Sheehan was killed not by the crash, but because of being unable to escape a subsequent battery fire. 0:03 / 0:09 Rivian R1T delivers on this EV feature that Tesla forgot Watch More Alleged Design Flaws Source: Getty Images The lawsuit alleges that the design of the Cybertruck's battery pack and the energy-absorbing features that should minimize crash damage contributed to the severity of the damage, that Sheehan was unable to open the doors from the inside once power was lost, and that external door handles didn't work properly. Attorneys also allege that 'alternate interior door handles are unreasonably difficult to locate in an emergency.' A nearby bar in Mont Belvieu, Texas, that Sheehan's family alleges over-served the driver prior to the crash, has also been named in the lawsuit. The family is seeking more than $1 million in damages. Tesla had not publicly commented on the allegations at the time of publication, nor had courts set a trial date. Cybertruck Problems Months after Sheehan's death, three California teens died when they crashed a Cybertruck and it caught fire. The family of one victim is suing the driver, and the owner of the truck, but not Tesla, Axios notes. There have been no shortage of problems with the Cybertruck. It was the subject of eight recalls in 2024, addressing issues ranging from exterior trim pieces that could fall off while driving, to faulty inverters that could cause a loss of power, to unintended acceleration due to trapped pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also conducting two investigations into Tesla's driver-assist tech that cover the Cybertruck, along with other Tesla models. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Demand for the electric truck has slowed significantly, leading to a backlog of inventory. But this lawsuit will prove whether the Cybertruck's flaws are as dangerous for drivers as they are for Tesla's bottom line. About the Author Stephen Edelstein View Profile
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
They Were Portrayed as a Wholesome Family on TV — Then One Son Came Home with a Gun
Jacob Stockdale fatally shot his mother and brother in 2017 before attempting to take his own life The family appeared on 'Wife Swap' in 2008, and was known for their strict religious values and musical lifestyle Stockdale pleaded guilty in 2021 and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prisonHe was the quiet son in a God-fearing, music-loving reality TV family. But nearly a decade after Wife Swap introduced the world to the ultra-strict Stockdale family, Jacob Stockdale turned their idyllic farmhouse into a crime scene — killing his mother and younger brother before turning the gun on himself. On June 15, 2017, police say the then 25-year-old shot his mother, 54-year-old Kathryn, and his younger brother, 21-year-old James, inside the family's home in Beach City, Ohio. He then attempted suicide but survived. After years of psychiatric treatment and a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, Jacob eventually admitted to the killings in 2021 and was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison, PEOPLE previously reported. The tragedy shook the small Ohio town — and stunned viewers who remembered the Stockdale family's 2008 appearance on ABC's Wife Swap. At the time, the deeply religious family was portrayed as a strict and close-knit. The children were homeschooled, dating was forbidden and secular entertainment — like television and video games — was banned. The family performed together in a bluegrass group, and their daily life centered around faith, work and music. Laurie Tonkovic, the temporary mother assigned to the Stockdale family during the show's two-week switch, told TMZ that Jacob panicked when she offered him and his three brothers small liberties, like watching TV. 'I was gonna let them have fun… television, video games. You know, [let them] experience life a little bit," Tonkovic told the outlet after Stockdale's arrest. 'But Jacob went outside crying… fearful of the repercussions because of what his parents had drilled into him over the years.' 'He was petrified that his religious mom and dad would be angry and that he would 'burn in Hell,'" she said. "He lived in a very controlled environment… his mom and dad told him what to do.' Investigators never publicly identified a motive — but the case has fueled speculation about whether the family's extreme isolation and rigid rules may have contributed to a mental health crisis. PEOPLE previously reported that Jacob was committed to a psychiatric facility after the shootings and was deemed incompetent to stand trial until nearly three years later. Now 33, Jacob is serving his sentence in an Ohio state prison. Read the original article on People
Gizmodo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Steven Universe' Will Return With a New Spinoff Sequel
5 years after it first came to an end, 'Steven Universe' is coming back–and heading to a few new places. The world of Steven Universe is returning to animation. 5 years after we bid farewell to Steven, Connie, the Crystal Gems, and Beach City, Rebecca Sugar's animated saga is making a comeback… just not in the form you may have expected. At Annecy today, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network announced that a new series, Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars, is currently in development. Described only as a 'follow-up' to Steven Universe and its epilogue series Steven Universe Future, little details are currently known about Lars of the Stars, including who, if any, among the former Steven Universe cast and crew are returning for the series, other than the return of Sugar and long-time Steven Universe collaborator Ian Jones-Quartey as executive producers. Instead of following Steven and Connie as they grow up and make a life for themselves away from Beach City, Lars of the Stars will go intergalactic, following the adventures of Lars Barriga, the former Beach City donut store employee who found himself transformed into a pink-hued, magical Human-Gem oddity after a brush with death (and Steven's healing powers). Taking on a ship of his own leading a crew of off-color Gems, Lars and his crew became revolutionary smugglers, as they rebelled against the grip of the tyrannical Gem homeworld and its rulers. Now that the Diamonds and Earth are at peace though, we last saw Lars heading off for, well, the stars once more, at the climax of Future–to, as the press release provided by Warner Bros. states, 'smuggle contraband, evade the authorities, and uncover the darkest secrets of the fallen Gem Empire.' One thing we do know however, is that Lars of the Stars will have a streaming home after the transformation of Cartoon Network and Warner Bros.' own streaming shakeups as of late: the series is being developed for Amazon's Prime Video. We'll bring you more on Warner Bros.' plans for Lars of the Stars as and when we learn them.
