Design flaws caused a Tesla Model 3 to suddenly accelerate out of control before it crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames, killing a woman and severely injuring her husband, a lawsuit filed in federal court alleges.

Another defect with the door handle design thwarted bystanders who were trying to rescue the driver, Jeff Dennis, and his wife, Wendy, from the car, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Wendy Dennis died in the Jan. 7, 2023, crash in Tacoma, Washington. Jeff Dennis suffered severe leg burns and other injuries, according to the lawsuit.

Messages left Monday with plaintiffs’ attorneys and Tesla were not immediately returned.

The lawsuit seeks punitive damages in California since the Dennis’ 2018 Model 3 was designed and manufactured there. Tesla also had its headquarters in California at the time before later moving to Texas.

Among other financial claims, the lawsuit seeks wrongful death damages for both Jeff Dennis and his late wife’s estate. It asks for a jury trial.

Tesla doors have been at the center of several crash cases because the battery powering the unlocking mechanism shuts off in case of a crash, and the manual releases that override that system are known for being difficult to find.

Last month, the parents of two California college students killed in a Tesla crash sued the carmaker, saying the students were trapped in the vehicle as it burst into flames because of a design flaw that prevented them from opening the doors. In September, federal regulators opened an investigation into complaints by Tesla drivers of problems with stuck doors.

Jeff and Wendy Dennis were running errands when the Tesla suddenly accelerated for at least five seconds. Jeff Dennis swerved to miss other vehicles before the car hit the utility pole and burst into flames, the lawsuit says.

The automatic emergency braking system did not engage before hitting the pole, the lawsuit alleges, even though it is designed to apply the brakes when a frontal collision is considered unavoidable.

Bystanders couldn’t open the doors because the handles do not work from the outside because they also rely on battery power to operate.. The doors also couldn’t be opened from inside because the battery had shut off because of the fire, and a manual override button is hard to find and use, the lawsuit alleges.

The heat from the fire prevented bystanders from getting close enough to try to break out the windows.

Defective battery chemistry and battery pack design unnecessarily increased the risk of a catastrophic fire after the impact with the pole, the lawsuit alleges.

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Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska Airlines said it does not expect any disruption in operation through this holiday week because of a leak in a pipeline in Washington, which is raising concern it could impact jet fuel supplies at Seattle and Portland airports.

“We are working to mitigate a potential impact from the Olympic Pipeline fuel leak,” Alaska Airlines wrote to Alaska’s News Source Sunday. “To ensure our scheduled service is maintained without significant disruption, we have implemented contingency plans.”

The contingency plans include tankering in fuel on inbound flights to Seattle, and tech stops on certain routes to conserve fuel. It’s also maintaining and expanding its trucking operation to bring in additional fuel, the airline said.

The airline said tech stops are “a stop at an airport along a flight’s route to add more fuel onboard. The passengers stay onboard.”

The Associated Press is reporting that officials say Portland International Airport does not expect any problems because it can bring in jet fuel on a barge.

The pipeline system has been down since Monday, but there have been intermittent shutoffs since Nov. 11, the Associated Press reported.

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WTOP’s José Umaña previews the Washington Spirit as they prepare to take on Gotham FC for the NWSL championship in San Jose, California, Saturday night.

All eyes will be on the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League championship game Saturday, as the Washington Spirit takes on Gotham FC at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

The game kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern, and is airing on CBS or streaming online. It’s expected to be a close matchup.

The match marks Washington’s second consecutive appearance in the finals, after losing to Orlando last year in Kansas City, and the fourth overall in franchise history.

The No. 2-seeded Spirit last won the championship in 2021, when it bested the Chicago Red Stars in extra time.

Fans have eagerly awaited the Spirit-Gotham rematch, as the two teams hold a longtime rivalry.

For Gotham FC, the team is looking to make history by becoming the lowest seed ever to win the title after beating top-seeded Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride in the playoffs.

Washington’s Trinity Rodman may be playing her last game in the league because of salary cap constraints. On the other side, Gotham fans will be watching the team’s Esther González, who has scored 13 goals this season.

WTOP’s Washington Spirit Beat Reporter, José Umaña, joined WTOP anchor Ian Crawford for a preview of the game.

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Stay with WTOP for the latest developments in Saturday’s championship game.

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