The criminal trial about to begin in South Korea hangs on questions about the safety of Tesla cars, at a time when the EV maker faces a range of lawsuits and increased scrutiny by regulators.
Tesla did not respond to written requests for comment about the crash and Choi's case. A lawyer for the family of Yoon Hong-geun, who owned the car and died in the crash, declined to comment. Prosecutors say Choi floored the accelerator as he entered the garage of a Seoul apartment building, hitting 95 kph before crashing. He denies that, saying the car's side mirrors began folding in and out uncommanded just before the car accelerated on its own.
Choi escaped through a broken window on his side. Firefighters were delayed in pulling Yoon out of the back seat, because the Model X's electronic doors failed to open from outside, a Dec. 31, 2020, fire department report reviewed by Reuters shows. The report does not say how long the rescue was delayed.
A video of the rescue shows firefighters trying but failing to open the Model X's wing-style doors. They eventually broke through the front windshield and pulled Yoon from the car about 25 minutes after the emergency call came in, according to the footage and the firefighters' report. "Tesla has become something of an icon for great innovation, but I think also raise a serious concern for customers here," Park said, referring to cases in which Tesla's doors will not open after a collision, and the free trade agreement provisions.