Couple Burns to Death in Tesla After Car Loses Power in Crash and Locks Them Inside

A Wisconsin couple tragically died last year after the Tesla Model S they were riding in crashed into a tree and erupted in flames. Now, their family is suing Tesla, claiming the car lost “low-voltage electrical power,” rendering the rear door buttons useless and trapping the couple inside.

According to a legal complaint filed last week in Dane County Circuit Court, “Jeffrey Bauer and Michelle Bauer did not die from the crash. They died because Tesla’s unreasonably dangerous design choices created the conditions for a fire to ignite and spread rapidly, leaving them with no practical means of escape.”

The Bauers were part of a group of five killed in the November 2024 crash off Range Trail in Verona. After the collision, a nearby homeowner called 911, reporting that the car was on fire and that she could hear people screaming from inside. “She could hear big flames and numerous big bangs,” the complaint says. “Five minutes into the call, screaming could still be heard.”

An off-duty police officer also witnessed the scene and called 911, confirming that the vehicle was ablaze and that occupants were trapped. Tragically, none of the five passengers were able to escape before the car was consumed by flames.

The Bauer family’s lawyers argue that Tesla’s design created a highly foreseeable danger: occupants who survive a crash could remain trapped inside a burning vehicle. While Tesla included mechanical door releases, the complaint says they were “hidden, unlabeled, and impractical in an emergency.” Rear passengers, it alleges, were left with only a concealed release that would have been extremely difficult to find or operate in smoke and chaos.

Lead attorney Andrew McDevitt told NBC and WMTV that the deaths were “unnecessary” and could have been prevented if Tesla had addressed the hidden risks. “When you see something novel or different, you have to make sure safety ramifications have been considered,” he said.

The couple’s family released a statement this week: “Jeffrey and Michelle were devoted parents and cherished members of our community. This crash stole them from us in the most horrific way, inflicting an irreparable loss. We filed this lawsuit to seek justice for their deaths and to force Tesla to fix a danger they have known about for years.”