Father and two 9-year-old children burn to death in Tesla fire in Germany after electronic doors trap them inside

Summary

A 43-year-old man and two nine-year-old children died in a Tesla Model S fire in Schwerte, Germany on September 7, 2025, after the vehicle lost control while overtaking, hit a tree, and burst into flames. Bystanders and first responders were unable to open the car's electronic doors to pull the victims out, with one local shop owner describing rushing over with a fire extinguisher but being unable to pry open the flush-mounted electronic handles. A third nine-year-old child managed to escape and was airlifted to hospital with injuries. The crash triggered renewed scrutiny of Tesla's electronic door handle design, which relies on a powered mechanism that can fail after impact. Germany's leading automobile club had previously warned about the risk, and the US NHTSA opened an investigation into similar door failures in Tesla Model Y vehicles. The victims' names were not released.