The accident occurred in Schwerte, North Rhine-Westphalia, around 2 p.m. on 7/9. "The electric vehicle's driver was attempting to overtake a line of cars and, for reasons yet unknown, left the roadway. The car slid into a ditch and hit a tree," Bernd Pentrop, a spokesperson for the Unna district police, told Bild. The vehicle caught fire, and three passengers could not be rescued. According to WDR, the vehicle was a Tesla.

"Three vehicles were involved. Two were attempting to overtake at the same time," Pentrop said. The investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.

According to police, one 9-year-old boy escaped the burning car on his own. He was then airlifted to a hospital.

The electric vehicle burned after leaving the roadway, sliding into a ditch and hitting a tree. Photo: News4 Video-Line

The electric vehicle burned after leaving the roadway, sliding into a ditch and hitting a tree. Photo: News4 Video-Line

The large-scale rescue operation involved two rescue helicopters, along with numerous police and medical personnel. Police have not yet released any information about the victims' identities.

Roman Jedrzejewski, the owner of a paint shop opposite the accident site, said he ran to help but couldn't save the three people inside.

"I grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran over. But it didn't help," he told the local newspaper Ruhr News.

"I wanted to save them," he said. "I tried to open the car doors, but I couldn't. It was very hot because of the fire, but the right side of the car was still relatively intact. I couldn't do anything. It was no use," he said, wiping away tears.

The vehicle being removed from the scene after the fire was extinguished. Photo: WDR

The vehicle being removed from the scene after the fire was extinguished. Photo: WDR

Teslas have electronic doors that open with the push of a button rather than a handle, which are retractable. However, in the event of a collision, the car's electrical system can be damaged, rendering the doors unusable.

Teslas do have manual door releases inside, but children may not be able to reach or operate them, even if the driver is aware of them.

The German automobile association, ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), warned drivers in 4/2024 that retractable door handles could pose a safety hazard.

Last week, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it had opened an investigation into approximately 174,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles from 2021 due to reports that the electronic door handles may malfunction.

Also last week, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer praised traditional design, saying flush door handles look good, but are difficult to operate.

Earlier this month, Chinese auto industry regulators said they were considering banning retractable door handles in electric vehicles due to safety concerns.

My Anh