“Help please … I am going to die,” said Samuel Tremblett in a 911 call, a lawsuit his family filed on Feb. 4 claims
The Tremblett Family
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- Samuel Tremblett died after his Tesla vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire in October, his mother claims in a lawsuit against the car company
- The complaint alleges that Tremblett died because he was trapped in the car and was unable to open the doors
- “Tesla continues to manufacture and sell its vehicles with the defective and unreasonably dangerous automated door handles,” the complaint asserts
The mother of a 20-year-old Syracuse University student, who allegedly died after being trapped in his burning Tesla when it crashed last October, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the electric car maker.
In the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts on Wednesday, Feb. 4, Samuel Tremblett’s mother, Jacquelyn Tremblett, alleged that Tesla designed and manufactured a “defective” 2021 Model Y vehicle that, following a collision, erupted in flames and trapped her son inside, “where he sustained catastrophic thermal injuries, smoke inhalation, causing his death.”
According to the court document, which PEOPLE obtained, Tremblett’s mother alleges that 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. After entering Easton, the vehicle left its lane of travel, crossed the southbound lane and crashed into a tree. The complaint added that Tremblett survived the collision.
Immediately after the Model Y struck the tree, the complaint claims, the vehicle erupted in flames. The family alleged that due to the “defective and unreasonably dangerous electronic system for operating the door handles,” which the suit said Tesla designed, built and sold, Tremblett was unable to escape from the burning car.
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The complaint mentioned an alleged 911 call Tremblett placed with a dispatcher, explaining that he was trapped in the Model Y.
“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 immediately arrived at the scene but were unable to extinguish the fire or remove Tremblett from the car, the complaint read. Officers said they heard four explosions in the first 10 minutes of being on the scene, per allegations in the complaint, which claimed that it took four hours for authorities to finally 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 claims
The suit also mentioned at least 15 alleged incidents since 2016, in which people have died after being trapped in Tesla vehicles by the electric doors.
“Notwithstanding the advice of Tesla’s engineers that this design was a serious safety hazard,” the complaint alleges, “Mr. [Elon] Musk [Tesla founder] refused to approve a safe, alternative design.”
“Tesla continues to manufacture and sell its vehicles with the defective and unreasonably dangerous automated door handles,” the complaint further alleged.
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Among the claims by Tremblett’s family in their lawsuit against Tesla 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 further stated. “His family and friends will remember his bright smile, adventurous spirit, and the warmth he brought to every moment.”
Samuel's mother dhared a statement in a news release about her lawsuit against Tesla.
“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.”
Tesla did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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