Sad news about a fellow ASA member today. Dr. Omar Awan, a 48 year old anesthesiologist from Davies, Florida, was killed when his Tesla crashed into trees while going over 70 mph. Law enforcement who showed up were unable to open the doors because the handles were flush with the body panels and didn't pop out like they were designed to do in an accident when the airbags are deployed. Bystanders commented that the car caught on fire and burned very quickly due to all the batteries. The police had to quickly retreat.
An autopsy report showed that Dr. Awan suffered no broken bones or any serious internal injuries. He died from smoke inhalation. Conceivably, he should have survived the crash if he was able to be pulled out from the car. Though the accident occurred eight months ago, the family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the car company because of the faulty door handles.
I've personally seen Teslas where the door handles act very strangely. I remember one time driving down the street, a Tesla Model S had its handles pop out every time the car came to a stop at a stoplight. It would then retract when the car started moving again. I thought there is something really wrong with that car. My kids think Teslas are cool, since half their friends own Teslas at home. However, I tell them that for now it is more of a science experiment than a real quality working automobile. We don't want to be part of any car company's beta testers.
RIP Dr. Awan.
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