Download the CTV News App for breaking news alerts and video on all the top stories “The car was locked because of lack of battery power,” Harper said. “I don’t know the ins and outs of a Tesla…but she wasn’t able to get herself out until we broke that window.” The crash is still under investigation and police have said it’s not clear whether the crash itself, or the fire that engulfed the vehicle, caused the fatalities. But the incident has some questioning the safety of electric vehicles in emergency situations. Doors need power to open and if the battery dies, doors can lock as a result. A similar crash last week in Wisconsin is also being investigated by police. Five people were killed when a Tesla crashed into a tree and burst into flames. “It’s just a different world,” said Mike Klimkosky, who helps prepare first responders for some of the challenges with responding to crashes and fires involving electric vehicles. “We are going to have think about these incidents differently.” Klimkosky says EVs have a latch inside the car that can manually open doors. He said there is typically one on the driver’s side and sometimes one in the back seat of the car. He says every owner should know about these latches and review their owner’s manual for vehicle-specific systems, as they can save lives. Tesla's guide is available online here. “A mechanical latch or switch will open the door under any circumstances,” he says. “Whether (the vehicle) is moving, whether it’s in an accident or what have you. It will open the door.” But some, it seems, either don’t know about the latch, or can’t access it in an emergency due to factors like location, incapacitation or disorientation. CTV National News interviewed a man during the flooding in Toronto in July who says he was trapped in his Tesla as flood waters rose. He was eventually able to pry a window open and crawl out. “The windows were stuck, the doors were stuck. I couldn't open the car, it shut down completely,” Edris Kyalignmba said. “It was really scary. It was like a horror movie.”