Tesla Model 3 sudden acceleration and door failure caused fatal fire in Tacoma
A Tesla Model 3 in Tacoma, Washington, reportedly experienced sudden uncontrolled acceleration and struck a utility pole on January 7, 2023, triggering a fire. The lawsuit alleges the vehicle's electronic door handles failed after power loss, trapping the occupants and preventing rescue; one person died and another was severely injured.
What happened
On January 7, 2023, a 2018 Tesla Model 3 driven by Jeffery Dennis in Tacoma, Washington, reportedly 'suddenly and rapidly accelerated out of control,' surging for roughly five seconds before striking a utility pole.
The impact triggered an 'extremely hot fire' that engulfed the cabin. The vehicle's electronic door handles became inoperable after the car lost power, and the high-voltage battery pack ignited, creating what the lawsuit describes as a 'hard-to-extinguish fire' that burned for hours. Bystanders and rescuers were unable to open the doors or break the windows to assist the occupants.
Wendy Dennis died at the scene. Jeffery Dennis suffered catastrophic burns including severe injuries to his legs.
Reported impact
One person died and another was severely injured in the crash. The lawsuit alleges that occupants had no chance to escape because the vehicle's electronic door handles were disabled when power was lost, preventing rescue efforts despite bystanders attempting to assist with a baseball bat to break windows.
Index analysis
The lawsuit alleges defects in the Model 3's acceleration and braking systems, claiming the vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control and that the automatic emergency braking system failed to activate despite an unavoidable collision. The complaint also names the 'unique and defective door handle design' that rendered doors inoperable after loss of power as contributing to entrapment.
The lawsuit argues Tesla knew the door handles could become inoperable after a crash and was aware of fire hazards from the lithium-ion battery pack but took no action to address either issue.
Governance controls
Regulators are reportedly probing whether Tesla doors trap occupants when low-voltage power fails, prompted by a string of similar fire-entrapment lawsuits involving Model 3, Model S, and Cybertruck vehicles.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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