Widow of designer who died in fiery Tesla crash sues automaker claiming car had ‘defective design'
The family of a man who died when his Tesla crashed into another car and burst into flames is blaming the automaker for the blaze, and accusing the company of knowingly foisting 'defective' and 'unreasonably dangerous' vehicles on an unsuspecting public.
Marketing and design executive Heath Miller, 47, was behind the wheel of his new Tesla Model Y in February 2023 when it collided with an oncoming SUV on Long Island's North Fork. The compact electric crossover's lithium-ion battery immediately caught fire, burning for more than two hours at a temperature that reached an estimated 4,000 degrees, according to authorities.
Miller was unable to flee the devastating inferno, which was so intense, it kept first responders from getting close enough to save him or his passenger, 55-year-old William Price, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley told local reporters at the time. The two people in the SUV, physicians Peter Smith, 80, and Patricia O'Neill, 66, were also killed.
'Usually, with gas engines, they are a lot easier to put out either with water or chemicals,' Flatley said. 'But this fire burned pretty hard and pretty intense.'
In a gut-wrenching wrongful death lawsuit filed over the weekend and obtained by The Independent, Miller's widow, Sarah-Mai Miller, says Tesla, whose CEO, Elon Musk, is the richest man on Earth, 'is aware that its vehicles are subject to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway in which its vehicles burst into flames after an impact.'
'While Tesla touts its vehicles as being less prone to catch fire than vehicles with internal combustion engines, they fail to alert consumers that once ignited, its vehicles burn much hotter and longer, making it often impossible for occupants to escape a burning vehicle or for first responders to render aid,' Mai-Miller's complaint contends. 'In this instance, the Tesla… vehicle burst into flames destroying any hope of escape or rescue.'
Sarah-Mai and Heath Miller were not only husband and wife, but partners in Chalk 242, an integrated branding agency with offices in Manhattan, Chicago, and Sarasota, Florida.
The complaint points to the fire's 'severe intrusion into the passenger compartment,' blaming it on 'the defective design and manufacture of the vehicle,' which allegedly 'lacked adequate and proper occupant protection.'
Tesla attorneys and company officials did not respond on Tuesday to The Independent 's requests for comment.
The world's largest electric carmaker has come under criticism in recent years for allegedly ignoring safety concerns brought to its attention by regulators and grieving relatives alike.
The wife of a New Jersey man whose Tesla Model 3 slammed into a tree and exploded sued the company in 2023, claiming her husband survived the crash but died in the raging battery fire that engulfed the car in the moments following.
A few years earlier, an Indianapolis woman sued Tesla after her husband, a former FBI agent, was unable to escape his Tesla Model S when it caught fire following an accident, instantly incinerating him. The vehicle's lithium ion battery cells at one point began shooting fiery 'projectiles' at first responders, preventing firefighters from attempting a rescue, according to court filings.
And when a Tesla Model 3 driven by a Marine Corps reservist in Colorado went up in flames after striking a tree, the new father couldn't get out and died in the blaze, his widow alleged in a lawsuit filed last year.
All blamed poor design by Tesla for causing their husbands' deaths.
Sarah-Mai Miller's new lawsuit takes Tesla to task for its contention that the Model Y is 'designed to 'exceed safety standards,'' calling out various features for allegedly failing to work as advertised.
On top of the battery issue, Miller's complaint — which suggests, but does not explicitly say, the Model Y was in self-driving mode at the time of the deadly collision — slams Tesla for overselling its camera-based 'Autosteer,' 'Autopilot,' and 'Obstacle Aware Acceleration' systems, claiming the car should have automatically applied the brakes when it sensed the impending accident. In 2021, Tesla did away with the radar and ultrasonic sensors that previously augmented the cameras comprising its 'Tesla Vision' feature, which the complaint says now 'lacks the added safety redundancy of radar or LiDAR sensors used in other autonomous driving systems.'
This, according to the complaint, can cause Teslas to become 'confused' under a variety of conditions, and actually cause a crash instead of avoiding one. It claims Tesla officials instead 'exposed' drivers to cars it knew were inherently dangerous, carrying with them 'substantial' risk of injury, even though the company knew there were 'feasible, safer alternative designs,' available at a 'minor' cost, which could have saved Heath Miller's life. (The parents and siblings of a 31-year-old Tesla owner killed behind the wheel of a Model S that crashed while in 'Autopilot' mode sued the company in December 2024 over the feature, which the family's attorney told The Independent was ' not… ready for primetime.')
The alleged dangers inherent in a Tesla are not 'not readily recognizable' to buyers, and the company 'failed to warn' customers of the risks, Sarah-Mai's complaint states. In the meantime, she has moved back to her home state of Ohio, where she is cobbling together a new life without the onetime partner she described as a 'stellar man.'
On Tuesday, a year to the day since the fatal accident, Sarah-Mai took to Instagram with a message.
'Heath's death has changed me, in just about every way,' she wrote. 'I have had to accept uncertainty in a way I used to fear, I have had to learn how to just exist as an individual in the world (without a partner) for the first time in my life... I miss you, Heathie. I am trying to continue to live life the way we did together, with the quite possibly delusional belief that we couldn't fail.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
China's electric cars are cheaper, but is there a deeper cost?
Theo will be responding to reader comments about this article between 12pm and 1pm today. Go to the comments section at the bottom of this page to share what you think about the rise of these more affordable EVs. In China, they call it the Seagull, and it has looks to match. It is sleek and angular, with bright, downward-slanting headlights that have more than a hint of mischievous eyes about is, of course, a car. A very small one, designed as a cheap city runabout – but it could have huge significance. Available in China since 2023, where it has proved extremely popular, it has just been launched in Europe with the name Dolphin Surf (because Europeans apparently aren't as keen on seagulls as Chinese people). When it goes on sale in the UK this week, it's expected to have a price tag of around £18,000. That will still make it, for an electric car on western markets, very cheap indeed. It won't be the outright lowest-priced model on offer: the Dacia Spring, manufactured in Wuhan jointly by Renault and Dongfeng, and the Leapmotor T03, which is being produced by a joint venture between Chinese startup Leapmotor and Stellantis, both cost the Dolphin Surf is the invasive species that has long-established brands most worried. That is because the company behind it has been making ever bigger waves on international markets. BYD is already the biggest player in China. It overtook Tesla in 2024 to become the world's best-selling maker of electric vehicles (EVs), and since entering the European markets two years ago, it has expanded aggressively."We want to be number one in the British market within 10 years," says Steve Beattie, sales and marketing director for BYD is part of a wider expansion of Chinese companies and brands that some believe could change the face of the global motor industry – and which has already prompted radical action from the US government and the means once-unknown marques like Nio, Xpeng, Zeekr or Omoda could become every bit as much household names as Ford or Volkswagen. They will join classic brands such as MG, Volvo and Lotus, which have been under Chinese ownership for products on offer already encompass a huge range, from runabouts like the tiny Dolphin Surf to exotic supercars, like the pothole-jumping U9, from BYD's high-end sub-brand Yangwang."Chinese brands are making massive inroads into the European market," says David Bailey, professor of business and economics at Birmingham Business 2024, 17 million battery and plug-in hybrid cars were sold worldwide, 11 million of those in China. Chinese brands, meanwhile, had 10% of global EV and plug-in hybrid sales outside their home country, according to the consultancy Rho Motion. That figure is only expected to grow. For consumers, it should be good news – leading to more high-quality and affordable electric cars becoming available. But with rivalry between Beijing and western powers showing no sign of subsiding, some experts are concerned Chinese vehicles could represent a security risk from hackers and third parties. And for established players in Europe, it represents a formidable challenge to their historic dominance. "[China has] a huge cost advantage through economies of scale and battery technology. European manufacturers have fallen well behind," warns Mr Bailey. "Unless they wake up very quickly and catch up, they could be wiped out." Cut-throat competition in China China's car industry has been developing rapidly since the country joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001. But that process accelerated rapidly in 2015, when the Communist Party introduced its "Made in China 2025" initiative. The 10-year plan to make the country a leader in several high-tech industries, including EVs, attracted intense criticism from abroad, and particularly the US, amid claims of forced technology transfers and theft of intellectual property – all of which the Chinese government by lavish state funding, the plan helped lay the groundwork for the breakneck growth of companies like BYD – originally a maker of batteries for mobile phones – and allowed the Chinese parent companies of MG and Volvo, SAIC and Geely, to become major players in the EV market."The general standard of Chinese cars is very, very high indeed," says Dan Caesar, chief executive of Electric Vehicles UK. "China has learned extremely quickly how to manufacture cars." Yet competition in China has become ever more cut-throat, with brands jostling for space in an increasingly saturated market. This has led them to hunt for sales Chinese firms have expanded into East Asia and South America, for years the European market proved a tough nut to crack – that is, until governments here decided to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel transition to electric cars opened the door to new players."[Chinese brands] have seen an opportunity to get a bit of a foothold," says Oliver Lowe, UK product manager of Omoda and Jaecoo, two sub brands of the Chinese giant Chery. Low labour costs in China, coupled with government subsidies and a very well-established supply chain, have given Chinese firms advantages, their rivals have claimed. A report from the Swiss bank UBS, published in late 2023, suggested that BYD alone was able to build cars 25% more cheaply than western firms deny the playing field is uneven. Xpeng's vice chairman Brian Gu told the BBC at the Paris Motor Show in 2024 that his company is competitive "because we have fought tooth and nail through the most competitive market in the world". 'Naked protectionism' from the US? Concerns that Chinese EV imports could flood international markets at the expense of established manufacturers reached fever pitch in the US, the Alliance for American Manufacturing warned they could prove to be an "extinction-level event" for the US industry, while the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen suggested that "huge state subsidies" for Chinese firms were distorting the European Biden administration took dramatic action, raising import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs from 25% to 100%, effectively making it pointless to sell them in the was condemned by Beijing as "naked protectionism". Meanwhile, in October 2024, the EU imposed extra tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese-made EVs. The UK, however, took no Schmidt, founder of Schmidt Automotive Research, says the EU's tariffs have now made it harder for Chinese firms to gain market share."The door was wide open in 2024... but the Chinese failed to take their chance. With the tariffs in place, Chinese manufacturers are now unable to push their cost advantage onto European consumers." Renault's ultra-modern EV hub European manufacturers have been racing to develop their own affordable electric cars. French car-maker Renault is among its factory in Douai, in northeastern France, an army of spark-spitting robots weld sections of steel to form car bodies, while on the main assembly line, automated systems mate together bodyshells, doors, batteries, motors and other parts, before human workers apply the finishing factory has been making cars for Renault since 1974, but four years ago, the ageing production lines were replaced with new highly automated, digitally-controlled of the site was also taken over by the Chinese-owned battery firm AESC, which built its own "gigafactory" next door. It's part of Renault's wider plan to set up an ultra-modern EV "hub" in northern France. Mirroring the lean production techniques of Chinese manufacturers, the hub cuts costs by maximising efficiency and ensuring that suppliers are located as close as possible."Our target was to be able to produce affordable electric cars here to sell in Europe," explains Pierre Andrieux, director of the Douai plant, arguing that automated processes "will enable us to do that profitably".But the company is also exploiting something the Chinese brands do not have: heritage. Its latest model, the Renault 5 E-tech, built in Douai, borrows its name from one of the company's most famous products. The original Renault 5, launched in 1972, was a quirky little everyman car with boxy looks and low running costs that became a cult new design, despite being a state-of-the art EV, pays homage to its predecessor in name and appearance, in an effort to emulate its popular appeal. Security, spyware and hacking concerns But irrespective of how desirable Chinese cars are in comparison with European rivals, some experts believe we should be wary of them – for security modern vehicles are internet-enabled in some way – to allow satellite navigation, for example – and drivers' phones are often connected to car systems. Pioneered by Tesla, so-called "over-the-air updates" can upgrade a car's software has all led to concerns, in some quarters, that cars could be hacked and used to harbour spyware, monitor individuals or even be immobilised at the touch of a keyboard. Earlier this year, a British newspaper reported that military and intelligence chiefs had been ordered not to discuss official business while riding in EVs; it was also alleged that cars with Chinese components had been banned from sensitive military in May, a former head of the intelligence service MI6 claimed that Chinese-made technology in a range of products, including cars, could be controlled and programmed remotely. Sir Richard Dearlove warned MPs that there was the potential to "immobilise London".Beijing has always denied all accusations of espionage.A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London says that the recent allegations are "entirely unfounded and absurd"."China has consistently advocated the secure, open, and rules-based development of global supply chains," the spokesperson told the BBC. "Chinese enterprises operating around the world are required to comply with local laws and regulations. "To date, there is no credible evidence to support the claim that Chinese EVs pose a security threat to the UK or any other country." Chinese government is 'not hell-bent on surveillance' Joseph Jarnecki, research fellow at defence and security think-tank The Royal United Services Institute, argues that potential risks can be mitigated."Chinese carmakers exist in this highly competitive market. While they're beholden to Chinese law and that may require compliance with national security agencies, none of them want to damage their ability to grow and to have international exports by being perceived as a security risk," he says."The Chinese government equally is conscious of the need for economic growth. They're not hell-bent on solely conducting surveillance." But the car industry is just one area in which Chinese technology is becoming increasingly enmeshed in the UK economy. To achieve the government's climate objectives, for instance, "It will be necessary to use Chinese-supplied technology", adds Mr believes that regulators of key industries should be given sufficient resources to monitor cyber security and advise companies using Chinese products of any potential for electric cars powered by Chinese technology, there's no question that they're here to stay."Even if you have a car that's made in Germany or elsewhere, it probably contains quite a few Chinese components," says Dan Caesar."The reality is most of us have smartphones and things from China, from the US, from Korea, without really giving it a second thought. So I do think there's some fearmongering going on about what the Chinese are capable of."I think we have to face the reality that China is going to be a big part of the future."Top image credit: Reuters BBC InDepth is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we'll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we'll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. We're starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think - you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below.
Auto Blog
4 hours ago
- Auto Blog
Rivian Is Missing Out on a Key Demographic
The numbers tell a story In a crowded landscape that includes legacy automakers, as well as rival startups like Rivian and Lucid, Tesla is still top dog when it comes to American electric vehicle sales. According to data from Kelley Blue Book and Cox Automotive, Tesla sales are eclipsing those of its competitors, even as it records an 8.6% year-over-year drop from last year. In Q1 2025, Tesla managed to move 128,100 of its EVs, while its closest competitor; Ford, sold just 22,550 vehicles in the same period. 0:03 / 0:09 Audi A5 replaces A4: So, what's changed? Watch More However, one brand that has posted lower growth numbers than Tesla is the outdoorsy-focused Rivian. According to KBB and Cox, its meager 8,553 sales in Q1 2025 means that it recorded a whopping 37.1% year-over-year sales drop, higher than established names like Kia. In 2024, it managed to sell 51,579 vehicles, a 3% jump from that in 2023, but at the same time, Tesla managed to move over 1.8 million vehicles. Source: Rivian Study: Rivian is struggling with a key EV-buying demographic According to a recent study by S&P Global Mobility, Rivian's is struggling to connect and resonate with Asian-American buyers in the United States. According to results from Q1 2025, Asian households represent just 7.2% of all the new cars that were registered. However, what stands out is that Tesla and Tesla alone captured a huge chunk of this key demographic, with its vehicles capturing nearly 27.2% of Asian-American drivers. Additionally, Asian-American households made up 12.7% of all electric vehicle (EV) sales that aren't from Tesla or Rivian. Asian-Americans are buying EVs, and the majority are buying Teslas. However, this shows that Rivian struggles to gain a foothold with this demographic, as just 13.7% of its sales are made to Asian-American households. Source: Getty Images One significant factor that S&P researchers Kent Chiu and Steve Giordano identified is the lack of diverse models on the Rivian lineup. Though the more compact R2 SUV is on the way and the hatchback-styled R3 is set to release in the future, Rivian only sells two models, the R1T and the R1S; the former being a pickup truck, a segment where Asian buyers are close to nonexistent. According to S&P data, Asian-Americans accounted for just 2.3% of all full-size pickup truck sales in the U.S., the same segment that the Rivian R1T and contemporary gas-powered rivals like the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 compete in. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. But even in the electric pickup market, Rivian falls short. Despite the Tesla Cybertruck's unconventional design alienating 'real truck guys' and 'truck bros,' it's hitting with Asian-American Tesla fans. According to S&P, nearly a quarter (24%, to be exact) of Cybertrucks were sold to Asian-American buyers, while just 8% of Asian-Americans bought a Rivian R1T. The gap extends beyond style and substance Despite this, S&P identified that Rivian faces challenges that extend beyond what kind of cars it wants to sell, as Tesla's deeper appeal is something much more skin-deep. According to data scraped by S&P researchers, some Asian-American buyers are particularly drawn to brands with a very strong premium brand image and companies known for their technological capabilities, which not only explains a gravitational pull towards Tesla but also established luxury car names in the gas-powered space. Their data shows that Asian-American buyers also like some of Tesla's German luxury rivals; 28.3% of sales for the Mercedes EQS SUV can be attributed to Asian households, while 25.5% of BMW iX sales came from the same demographic. More remarkably, S&P also found that 33% of Tesla Model X sales were made to Asian-American buyers. Final thoughts I am Asian-American, and even as someone within this large and diverse diaspora that lives in the NY Metro Area, one of the largest hotbeds for EV ownership growth in the United States, this study does ring somewhat true from an anecdotal point of view. I slightly disagree with the idea that vanity or a perceived luxury image significantly influences Tesla's reputation within the Asian-American community. However, the appeal of a practical car with low maintenance costs, the widespread and convenient Supercharger network, and a buying experience without traditional franchised dealers are significant advantages for people of all walks of life, Asian or not. About the Author James Ochoa View Profile
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Elon Musk's father says his son and Donald Trump will patch things up after dramatic falling out
Elon Musk's father has said his son and Donald Trump's dramatic falling out was like "a man and a wife arguing", but they will patch things up soon. Errol Musk told Sky News' Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett: "It's like any argument. Everybody at some point says I'll never make up, but then they do later." It comes after the world's richest man said in a now-deleted tweet that the US president appears in files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The social media back-and-forth began when the Tesla and SpaceX CEO called Mr Trump's tax and spending bill a "disgusting abomination" days after abruptly leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), saying it would add to US debts and threaten economic stability. "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public," he tweeted. In a follow-up post he added: "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out." He gave no evidence for his claim, which the White House dismissed. The posts disappeared from his social media platform by Sunday. Asked what he thought of the public falling out, Errol Musk said: "I was very surprised, I didn't expect anything like that." He said his son is "somebody who sticks by his principles" and "doesn't like to be called out on anything". He added: "I don't think Elon would be concerned about whether he criticises Donald Trump or not." 'They'll come to an understanding' Mr Musk said his son and the president fell out over Mr Trump's bill, adding it was "not going to save the country money" and "was going to cost the country even more money". But he said: "I think they'll come to an understanding in due course. Elon is standing by his principles that we must cut costs." 4:02 Asked if they would make up, he said: "Yes absolutely. They may not go back to exactly the same arrangement but they're certainly both on the same side of things so it's simply a matter of they should take notice of what Elon is saying and he should take notice of the needs that the government has." 'We're sorting it out' He said the argument likely happened because of "emotions welling out of hand". "They've had five months of intense day and night, hardly any sleep, and anybody who went through that would know your nerves are pretty much shredded after that time. "And once they'd cleared the opposition and it was just the two of them left... they'd got to a point where it was just the two of them left so they had to start fighting with each other." He added: "I'm not sure it will be a matter of going back into the White House, because he's not an elected president. But getting back on a normal footing, I would imagine very soon. Tomorrow maybe." Mr Musk said he had received a text from his son saying: "Don't worry, we're sorting it out". Mr Musk also said his son would like to cooperate with Russia "in matters of space exploration" - after the SpaceX CEO said his company would "immediately" begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft - the only US spacecraft available to deliver crew to and from the International Space Station - after Mr Trump threatened to cancel government contracts with Musk's businesses. It comes after Mr Trump told NBC he has no plans of making up with Musk.
