Tesla Fire Kills Four in Toronto, Raising Alarm Over Car’s Door Safety During Emergencies

A Tesla fire has claimed the lives of four passengers, raising concerns about the vehicle’s safety after the survivors reported they were unable to open the car doors.

According to People magazine on Tuesday, a Tesla traveling down a road in Toronto, Canada, crashed into a pole at around 12:10 a.m., catching fire upon impact. Four of the five passengers lost their lives in the accident, and a bystander rescued one.

At a press conference, Toronto Police Sergeant Philip Sinclair explained that the Tesla was moving at high speed when it lost control, hitting a guardrail and concrete pillar, which caused the vehicle to burst into flames.

Sergeant Sinclair confirmed that three men, aged 26, 29, and 32, and a 30-year-old woman died at the scene, while a 25-year-old woman was taken to the hospital for treatment. According to the police, the surviving woman’s injuries are not life-threatening. Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop mentioned that the fire’s intensity might be linked to the car’s battery cells.

Rick Harper, 73, a Canada Post employee who witnessed the accident, recounted the harrowing rescue attempt. Bystanders frantically pounded on the rear windows, desperate to free those trapped inside. When someone called for a tool, Harper retrieved a metal rod from his truck. Another witness used it to shatter the back window, successfully extracting the young woman from the backseat.

“I was totally shocked,” Harper told reporters after learning of the four fatalities upon arriving at work. “I spoke to a couple of detectives who told me the girl I rescued was recuperating in the hospital.”

A similar accident recently occurred in South Korea. Last month in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, a Tesla driver collided with a roadside curb, causing the vehicle to catch fire and resulting in the driver’s death. The incident attracted public attention when the victim’s body was found in the back seat rather than the driver’s seat. Police are investigating whether power was cut off during the fire, possibly preventing the car doors from opening.

Tesla vehicles do not have traditional door handles; doors are opened by pressing a button. If the car catches fire, the power supply may be disrupted, making it impossible to open the doors. There is a method to manually release the emergency door latch and open the door manually in case of emergencies, but this procedure is not widely known.