DJ Airlifted From Burning Man for Emergency Surgery After Vehicle Crushes Feet

An attendee of Burning Man 2025 was severely injured when he was struck by a Tesla Cybertruck on the event’s final night, leaving him with “enormous” medical expenses including a $50,000 helicopter evacuation bill.

James “JP” Patrick was meditating on the desert floor Saturday night when the vehicle ran over both his feet, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by a family friend. The man was pinned beneath the car before it reversed and released him, crushing both of his feet.

The accident required emergency reconstructive surgery after JP, a DJ who runs a music production school, was airlifted from the event to a Reno trauma center.

“I’ve never seen inside someone’s foot like that. It was just totally exposed, bone and tendon,” the man’s wife Jade told SFGATE, describing the severity of her husband’s injuries. “That’s when I was like, oh my god, this is f—king serious. Thank god I didn’t actually witness it. Neither did my kids.”

Jade said the driver stopped immediately and cooperated fully in getting medical care for her husband, calling it “a genuine accident.” The Cybertruck had been converted into an art car, a signature feature of the annual Nevada desert gathering where vehicles are redesigned as mobile art installations.

Citing an “an urgent need for extra help to keep their household afloat,” the GoFundMe seeks to cover the couple’s mounting expenses, including rehab, lost wages and childcare for the their four children.

“[JP] will not be able to walk for several months,” wrote family friend Kara Lovemelt. “Meanwhile, his wife Jade and their two children who were with him at the Burn have returned home to reunite with their two youngest toddlers. This leaves Jade navigating the challenges of parenting four children largely on her own while JP heals.”

JP is now stable after surgery, returning to Minneapolis on Wednesday. The family has not yet indicated whether or not they plan to pursue legal action.

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