The parents of a young Piedmont woman who died in a fiery Tesla Cybertruck crash last year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking answers to basic questions about the collision.
Krysta Tsukahara, 19, was killed the day before Thanksgiving when the Cybertruck she was riding in struck a retaining wall, hit a tree and then caught fire on Hampton Road between Sea View and King avenues in Piedmont at about 3 a.m.
The Nov. 27 crash killed Tsukahara, 19-year-old driver Soren Dixon and another passenger, 20-year-old Jack Nelson.
A third passenger was pulled from the burning Tesla by a friend who was following in another car.
The suit names Dixon’s estate and the truck’s owner, Charles Patterson, as defendants.
“Our lives are changed forever with something of this magnitude, which, you know, I wouldn’t wish on anybody on the face of planet Earth,” Carl Tsukahara said Thursday. “But it’s even more, I would say, morally wrong for people not to help us understand what went on.”
Truck remains in police possession
The Tsukaharas say they’ve not been granted access to the truck, among other things, which is preventing them from learning all the facts that might have contributed to their daughter’s death.
A lawyer for the couple, Roger Dreyer, said the truck is still in the possession of law enforcement but could be accessed if the owner grants permission.
“Our lives are changed forever with something of this magnitude, which, you know, I wouldn’t wish on anybody on the face of planet Earth.”
Carl Tsukahara, father of Krysta Tsukahara
The owner’s lawyers, however, have not responded to Dreyer’s requests, he said.
A lawyer for the defendants declined to comment Thursday.
Once Dreyer has access to the truck, along with vehicle data from the manufacturer, he said certain questions might be answered, including why it caught fire after impact, why the occupants couldn’t open the doors and other critical safety issues that might be relevant.
“This is really to gain information for the family. People aren’t talking,” Dreyer said.
According to an autopsy report, all three died from asphyxia due to smoke inhalation, all were burned severely and Krysta Tsukahara was alive after the crash but was subsequently consumed by smoke and flames as she struggled to exit the truck.
Also, all three Piedmont High School graduates had varying amounts of alcohol and cocaine in their systems, with Dixon showing a blood alcohol level of .195, which is above the legal limit of .01 for drivers under 21 and twice the legal limit of .08 for those over 21.
Dixon also tested positive for methamphetamine, according to his toxicology report.
Unanswered questions
The Tsukaharas believe there are still many unanswered questions about what happened that night.
“We need to tell folks that it’s not right to keep, not just our family but all families, devoid of information. It’s not right,” said Carl Tsukahara, who, along with his wife Noelle, gave a series of one-on-one interviews to media outlets Thursday.
In addition to wanting to get the word out about their lawsuit, the couple said they also wanted to let people know how much they love and miss their daughter, who they said was talented, kind and destined for great things.
“One of the things that’s important to note is that she always thought about everybody else first, her family members, her friends,” Carl Tsukahara said. “She was always trying to help people, you know, friends who were having school issues, mental health issues, she always was the one that would try and help people, take the time to help them, support them. She was just someone that was a gift to the world.”
Noelle Tsukahara said her daughter, who was studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, had a sharp eye for fashion and could transform items she found in consignment shops into something special.
“I also miss her every day, with every breath,” she said. “I miss our mother-daughter times. She was funny, she was witty and she had the kindest heart.”
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