Vancouver, British Columbia — A man in North Vancouver found himself in a true nightmare situation last week after becoming trapped in his 2021 Tesla Model Y as it engulfed into flames.
Jamil Jutha was driving towards Mountain Highway on a Friday morning when his vehicle suddenly shut down in the middle of the road.
“The doors wouldn’t open. The windows wouldn’t go down,” Jutha said.
Within seconds, the cabin of Jutha’s car was full of smoke and he started to desperately search for a way out.
“Of course, there’s always going to be panic in a moment when you feel trapped,” he said. “I kicked through the window, climbed out and called 911 right away.”
Some nearby construction workers helped Jutha direct traffic away from his car as it continued to burn, worried that the battery would soon explode.
Shortly thereafter, the fire department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.
“We’re very fortunate that this individual had the wherewithal and the strength to kick the window out,” said Chief Brian Hutchinson of the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.
An investigation was conducted on Tuesday by fire officials before handing the wreck over to ICBC for a full claims analysis.
Tesla Model Y vehicles do have an emergency release mechanism but according to Jutha, it can be difficult to figure out while in an active emergency.
Jutha hopes that other Tesla owners will learn from his story and familiarize themselves with the safety functions of their vehicle.
CTV News, who first reported the story, reached out to Tesla for comment on the situation but the company did not respond.
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