Student, 20, Allegedly Died After Being Trapped When Tesla Crashed and Caught Fire. Now, His Family Is Suing

The mother of a 20-year-old Syracuse University student who allegedly died after becoming trapped inside his burning Tesla following a crash last October has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the electric car maker.

In a complaint filed Wednesday, Feb. 4, in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, Samuel Tremblett’s mother, Jacquelyn Tremblett, alleges that Tesla designed and manufactured a “defective” 2021 Model Y that burst into flames after a collision and left her son trapped inside “where he sustained catastrophic thermal injuries, smoke inhalation, causing his death.”

According to the court filing, Tremblett was driving the Model Y on Oct. 29 at around 1 a.m. local time on the northbound lane of Turnpike Street in Easton, Mass. The lawsuit alleges that after entering Easton, the vehicle left its lane, crossed into the southbound lane, and struck a tree. The complaint further alleges that Tremblett survived the initial impact.

The filing claims the car erupted in flames immediately after hitting the tree. The lawsuit alleges that Tremblett was unable to get out because of a “defective and unreasonably dangerous electronic system for operating the door handles,” which it says Tesla designed, built, and sold.

The complaint also references an alleged 911 call in which Tremblett reportedly told a dispatcher he was trapped inside the vehicle.

“I can’t breathe .. it’s on fire. Help please … I am going to die,” Tremblett said, the complaint alleges. “I’m dying … Help … Help.’’

Police arrived at the scene but were unable to extinguish the fire or remove him from the car, according to the allegations. The filing claims officers heard four explosions in the first 10 minutes and that it took authorities four hours to fully put out the flames.

“Unable to open the doors, Mr. Tremblett was trapped in the Tesla vehicle and died from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation before he was rescued,” the complaint alleges.

The lawsuit also points to at least 15 alleged incidents since 2016 in which people have died after being trapped in Tesla vehicles due to the door system. It further claims that, “Notwithstanding the advice of Tesla’s engineers that this design was a serious safety hazard,” Mr. [Elon] Musk [Tesla founder] refused to approve a safer alternative design.

The complaint alleges Tesla “continues to manufacture and sell its vehicles with the defective and unreasonably dangerous automated door handles.”

Among the claims brought by Tremblett’s family are negligence, breach of warranty, wrongful death, and conscious pain and suffering.

An obituary said Tremblett was born in Middleborough, Mass., and attended Syracuse University for three years, majoring in design studies.

“Samuel was full of life and energy,” the tribute read. “He loved spending time with his younger brother, Tristan, whether shooting hoops, hanging out with friends, or just enjoying each other’s company.

“He was an entrepreneur who had a vision to design his own clothes and in 2024 launched his own clothing line, Forget Raven, which became an instant success, and he was preparing to take that dream to the next level,” the obituary added. “He also found joy and confidence in modeling, expressing his individuality through art and style.”

“Samuel’s life, though far too short, was filled with creativity, love, and light,” the tribute continued. “His family and friends will remember his bright smile, adventurous spirit, and the warmth he brought to every moment.”

In a news release about the lawsuit, Tremblett’s mother also shared a statement criticizing Tesla’s design and safety choices.

“How could Tesla keep selling vehicles that they know trap people inside their cars after a crash?” Jacquelyn claimed. “They could have fixed it, but they refused. Now my son is dead after suffering unmercifully. The people who did this must face consequences and the public needs to know how dangerous Tesla vehicles are in a crash.”