Two killed in East Bay traffic crash Thursday evening “Consumers lodged dozens of complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), many warning that rear-seat passengers — especially children — could be trapped inside during a crash or a fire,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit filed by Nelson’s parents similarly calls out the Cybertruck’s door design and the low-voltage electricity on which they rely. Nelson, too, was alive after the crash, but died from smoke inhalation and burns after becoming trapped inside. “The four young people in the Cybertruck were close friends and outstanding individuals, each on the verge of making meaningful contributions in the world,” Todd and Stannye Nelson, Jack’s parents, said in a statement released by their attorney. “They were all victims of Tesla’s unsafe design. Their deaths and injuries have devastated everyone who knew them. The impact has been felt not only in Piedmont but also far beyond — including the University of Colorado where Jack was a student and deeply mourned by his friends and classmates.” In their statement, the Nelsons also added: “Because of the way the law works, the Nelsons were also required to name two estates as defendants. They do not seek to punish any families.” The lawsuits call out Tesla CEO Elon Musk for being personally aware of the problems with Tesla vehicles’ doors. At a 2013 earnings call, Musk acknowledged these issues, saying that “occasionally the sensor would malfunction … so you’d pull on the door handle and it wouldn’t open.” Musk assured investors that the design flaw had been fixed, even as failures continued to happen for years, with the lawsuit citing more than 30 examples of customers’ complaints about Tesla vehicles’ doors refusing to open. On Nov. 27, 2024, Krysta Tsukahara, after returning home for Thanksgiving break from Savannah College of Arts and Design, attended a party with other graduates of Piedmont High School. The party, held at a private residence, included alcohol consumption by minors. Around 3 a.m., Soren Dixon, 19, convinced Tsukahara and a handful of other partygoers to go to his home in the 6800 block of Estates Drive to pick up a Cybertruck that was owned by his grandfather, according to court documents. Dixon drove the Cybertruck with Nelson, 20, Jordan Miller, 19, and Tsukahara as his passengers as they drove along Hampton Avenue toward another Piedmont residence, according to authorities. Noelle and Carl Tsukahara speak to a reporter in their home on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Piedmont, Calif. Their daughter Krysta died in a Tesla Cybertruck crash in Nov. 2024. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Dixon had consumed approximately eight alcoholic beverages that evening, according to an unidentified witness in a California Highway Patrol report. Dixon’s autopsy also confirmed the presence of 180 nanograms of cocaine and 55 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter of blood at the time of the crash. Just blocks away from their destination, Dixon accelerated out of a stop sign, crashed into a tree and struck a retaining wall, police said. Another Piedmont High graduate, Matt Riordan, had followed in a vehicle behind the Cybertruck when he came upon the wreck as flames began to consume the vehicle. Riordan used a tree branch to break the passenger door window, where he pulled Miller from the vehicle. He returned moments later to try and save Tsukahara, Nelson and Dixon. Victims of the Piedmont, Calif. Cybertruck accident from left to right, Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and, Krysta Tsukahara. (Courtesy photos) Noelle and Carl Tsukahara speak to a reporter in their home on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Piedmont, Calif. Their daughter Krysta died in a Tesla Cybertruck crash in Nov. 2024. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Courtesy of the Tsukahara family Krysta Tsukahara, 19, died from smoke inhalation and burns suffered in a fatal car crash on Nov. 27, 2024, in Piedmont. Her family is suing the owner of the vehicle, Charles Patterson, and the family of the driver, Soren Dixon. A pedestrian walks past the scene of a crash site where three teens died in Piedmont, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Piedmont High School graduates died early Wednesday morning, when the Tesla Cybertruck they were in crashed into a tree at the corner of Hampton Road and King Avenue. A person driving by was able to pull a lone survivor out of the wreckage before emergency crews arrived. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Photographs of the victims are pinned on a tree located at the scene of a crash site where three teens died in Piedmont, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Piedmont High School graduates died early Wednesday morning, when the Tesla Cybertruck they were in crashed into a tree at the corner of Hampton Road and King Avenue. A person driving by was able to pull a lone survivor out of the wreckage before emergency crews arrived. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) People gather to pay their respects at the scene of a crash site where three teens died in Piedmont, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Piedmont High School graduates died early Wednesday morning, when the Tesla Cybertruck they were in crashed into a tree at the corner of Hampton Road and King Avenue. A person driving by was able to pull a lone survivor out of the wreckage before emergency crews arrived. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) A note is pinned to a tree at the scene of a crash site where three teens died in Piedmont, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Piedmont High School graduates died early Wednesday morning, when the Tesla Cybertruck they were in crashed into a tree at the corner of Hampton Road and King Avenue. A person driving by was able to pull a lone survivor out of the wreckage before emergency crews arrived. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community mourn the loss of the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Multiple people described the victims as former Piedmont High School students. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community listen to Piedmont Mayor Jen Cavenaugh delivering an emotional speech and a moment of silence honoring the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Multiple people described the victims as former Piedmont High School students. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community listen to Piedmont Mayor Jen Cavenaugh delivering an emotional speech and a moment of silence honoring the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Multiple people described the victims as former Piedmont High School students. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community mourn the loss of the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Multiple people described the victims as former Piedmont High School students. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community pay respects at a makeshift memorial for the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community pay respects at a makeshift memorial for the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community pay respects at a makeshift memorial for the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Piedmont Turkey Trot participants and members of the community mourn the loss of the three victims who were killed in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash on Hampton Road near King Avenue in Piedmont, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Multiple people described the victims as former Piedmont High School students. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) A tow truck removes the charred remains of a Tesla Cybertruck that crashed, killing three people and injuring another one in Piedmont, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Harry Harris/Bay Area News Group). Show Caption