Months after their daughter, Krysta Tsukahara, perished in a fatal Tesla Cybertruck crash in Piedmont last November, her parents are now seeking justice against the driver’s family with a wrongful death suit filed in Alameda County on Wednesday.

The Tsukaharas claim they have been stonewalled by the Dixon family, whose 19-year-old son, Soren Dixon, was the driver of the Cybertruck, from learning about the circumstances that led up to their daughter’s death. Additionally, they claim they have been barred from accessing the vehicle.

The Tsukaharas requested privacy in the wake of their daughter’s death. They broke that silence to the media on Thursday for the first time.

“I don’t think it’s moral to withhold information from all the families that have been through this. … My heart bleeds for them, too,” Carl Tsukahara told Bay Area News Group at his family’s home in Piedmont.

“To not allow the families to just get access to that information — I mean, this is a harsh word — but I find that kind of despicable. I think any parent who loves their kids would feel the same.”

At the time of the crash, 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara was a sophomore at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Her professors noted her aptitude for design and her contribution to the culture of the college.

One teacher wrote that she was “one of the most dedicated and hardworking students I’ve had the pleasure of teaching,” according to a Dec. 2, 2024, letter from the college following her death. But the promise of her ambition ended tragically.

On Nov. 26, 2024, Dixon and Tsukahara had attended a party that night in Piedmont with other graduates of Piedmont High School after they had returned home from their respective colleges.

The underage group consumed alcohol throughout the evening, with Dixon himself consuming approximately eight alcoholic beverages, split between vodka and beer, in addition to cocaine, according to one unidentified witness interviewed by the California Highway Patrol.

According to court records, between 2 and 3 a.m. on Nov. 27, the group planned to move to an address on Wildwood Gardens in Piedmont.

Dixon urged members of the party to go pick up a Cybertruck — registered to his grandfather Charles Patterson — located at his home at 6861 Estates Dr.

Dixon entered the driver’s seat, Jordan Miller, 20, took the passenger’s seat, while Jack Nelson, 20, and Tsukahara sat in the backseat as the group set out for a joyride through Piedmont, court records show.

As they neared their destination, Dixon failed to adjust to a curve on Hampton Avenue and crashed into a tree.

A subsequent fire from the crash engulfed the car in flames with Tsukahara, Dixon and Nelson inside.

A bystander following the vehicle rescued Miller through a window of the truck.

An autopsy of Dixon later found that his blood alcohol content was 0.195% — more than twice the legal limit for drivers over the age of 21 and nearly 20 times the limit for someone of his age, according to the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.

“She was a good kid. Never got in any trouble, never had a speeding ticket, never got in trouble with the law, “ Carl Tsukahara said of his daughter who perished in the crash.

“Never.”

In their lawsuit, the Tsukaharas allege that Dixon “negligently and carelessly drove” the vehicle. They also claim that 20 John/Jane Does — individuals, corporations or associates who are unknown to the Tsukaharas — were owners or operators of the vehicle who entrusted Dixon to operate the vehicle.

The family is seeking both non-economic damages in regard to the love, affection and companionship of their daughter, and economic damages for the loss of Krysta Tsukahara’s future financial support and funeral costs, according to the lawsuit.

Beyond damages, the Tsukaharas are seeking answers.

“This is a life-changing, unrecoverable tragedy for a family,” Carl Tsukahara said. “She was kind and giving and extremely selfless to both her family and to her friends. … She cared about everybody. She cared about people in this town and her family, and I just want people to know that. She was a phenomenal human.”