Tesla Traps Toddler During Phoenix Heatwave

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A grandmother faced a nightmare scenario when her 20-month-old grandchild was trapped inside her Tesla after the battery died. Even worse, this happened in the Phoenix, Arizona area while the city has been experiencing highs well over 100 degrees, making every minute a child or animal is inside a vehicle potentially deadly.

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The woman told Arizona’s Family in an interview she had no idea her Tesla’s auxiliary battery was completely depleted until after she put her grandchild into the backseat, then closed the door, the driver’s door not opening.

She tried the app and her key to get inside put couldn’t. Since Teslas don’t have a blade key as a backup, when the battery is completely zapped there’s no quick manual way to get inside.

There is, however, a way to open the doors manually when you’re inside a Tesla. That’s great if older kids, teens, or adults are trapped inside. But for a toddler strapped into a car seat, such a failsafe is useless.

Left with no other option, the woman called 911 and Scottsdale Fire was dispatched. She claims firefighters expressed disappointment when they saw the vehicle was a Tesla, explaining they can’t get inside them when the battery dies.

With the grandmother’s blessing, firefighters used an axe to break one of the electric car’s windows. Then one of them climbed inside and pulled the crying toddler out.

Now the grandmother is furious about the incident, claiming she never received a single warning that the auxiliary battery was losing its charge. She said Tesla even confirmed that’s what happened.

Thankfully the toddler was rescued before too long. But what if something like this happened in a more remote area? Or what if first responders couldn’t have arrived quickly?

We know Tesla stands against everything old school in the auto industry, but having at least one manual lock you can open using a blade key isn’t a bad failsafe to have on a vehicle.

Image via Arizona’s Family/YouTube

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