Despite how horrific this is it doesn’t tell us what really happened. Doors can get stuck in any car after an accident. Teslas are very controversial today for obvious reasons so every time there’s some tragic news the brand has to be mentioned. Like recently they found a dismembered body of a woman and of course it was found inside a Tesla. In any case the lack of handles should not be a problem as there’s a latch inside which is easy to access and operate. It’s up to each car user to get familiar with the car to drive it safely.
The Model S and X have truly retractable door handles. The Model 3 and Y have flush door handles that you need to push in to get the latch to pull out. As far as I know, the 3/Y handles should work with the power disconnected; although many people who haven't ridden in one don't know that you need to push, then pull, the handle. (And probably won't figure it out when panicking.)
I don't know if there's a way to bypass the S/X handles. My Ioniq 9 has retractable handles, and if you push on one corner of the driver's door handle you can work it out. I don't know about the other doors, and I don't think someone could figure it out if panicking.
The Model 3 and Y handles do not work with the power disconnected. The article says that it was a Model Y that they were unable to open. My Model 3 had a power issue and the doors would not open.
