CORAL GABLES, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman whose husband died while trapped in a Tesla that burst into flames after a crash is suing the car company for negligence.
Dr. Liliana Awan and her attorneys said the futuristic design features of the 2016 Tesla Model S, including the lithium ion battery, killed her husband, Dr. Omar Awan, not the crash itself.
“He’s not going to be at their weddings or at their graduation or at their first born child. That will never happen,” said Awan.
Awan is fighting for justice for herself, her children and her husband.
Last February, her husband crashed his Tesla into a tree on the 1200 block of Flamingo Road in Davie. After hitting the tree, he was not able to get out of the car, and first responders could not open the doors.
Awan said Tesla’s design of the exterior inset handles were stuck in the vehicle.
“Neither were they able to break the window,” she said.
First responders use special diagrams to help guide them when responding to a scene involving an electric vehicle to avoid hitting any high voltage cables, but soon after they arrived, the car burst into flames.
“He was alive looking at the first responders who were there on the spot to save him,” Awan said. “He made eye contact with them.”
However, first responders could not save him, and Awan died trapped inside the burning car.
Now, his wife is suing Tesla, who is faulting the door handles for trapping him inside and the car’s battery for catching fire.
“I want Tesla to recognize the faults of the car and improve its safety to prevent people from dying and leaving behind families,” Awan said.
Awan’s attorneys filed suit against the car manufacturer last week but have not heard back from Tesla.
7News has reached out to Tesla for comment, but they have yet to respond.
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