• The crash: On the day before Thanksgiving in 2024, 19-year-old Soren Dixon was driving a Tesla Cybertruck with three passengers when he lost control, struck a retaining wall and a tree, and the vehicle caught fire.
• Victims: Dixon, along with passengers Krysta Tsukahara (19) and Jack Nelson (20), died in the crash. The coroner determined the victims asphyxiated in the fire. A fourth passenger survived after being pulled from the vehicle by a friend.
• Initial lawsuit: In April 2025, Carl and Noelle Tsukahara filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dixon's estate and Charles Patterson, the owner of the Cybertruck and a relative of Dixon. The initial suit sought to obtain information about the crash, as the family felt they were being stonewalled.
• Investigation findings: A toxicology report revealed that Dixon was driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. However, Krysta Tsukahara's family insists that she was not severely intoxicated and was not physically injured during the initial impact.
• Amended lawsuit: In October 2025, the Tsukahara family filed an amended lawsuit that included Tesla as a defendant.
• Allegations against Tesla: The amended suit alleges that design flaws with the Cybertruck's electronic door mechanisms, "armor glass" windows, and stainless-steel doors prevented Tsukahara from escaping the burning vehicle. The family's attorney stated that the death was preventable.
• Family's goal: The Tsukahara family seeks punitive and compensatory damages but has consistently stated their primary goal is to get answers and hold those responsible accountable for their daughter's death.

Related case: Nelson v. Tesla