Mother Sues Tesla Over Son's Death in Model Y Fire

The mother of a 20-year-old college student has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tesla, alleging that defects in the electronic door handles of a Model Y trapped her son inside the vehicle after a crash, leading to his death in a fire.

The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Massachusetts, centers on Samuel Tremblett, a Syracuse University student who died following a single-vehicle accident in Easton, Massachusetts, on October 29, 2025. According to the complaint, Tremblett was driving a 2021 Model Y around 1 a.m. when the SUV veered off Route 138, crossed into the southbound lane and struck a tree. He survived the initial impact but could not escape as the vehicle ignited almost immediately, filling the cabin with smoke and flames.

Court documents include a transcript of Tremblett's desperate 911 call moments after the crash. "I'm stuck in a car crash. I can't get out, please help me. I can't breathe. It's on fire, it's on fire. Help please. I am going to die. I'm dying. Help. I'm dying. Help. Help," he told the dispatcher, as quoted in the filing. Police arrived within minutes but reported hearing multiple explosions from the vehicle and found the fire too intense...