A single-car incident involving a Tesla Cybertruck killed three young individuals early Wednesday morning in Piedmont, Northern California, according to officials.
While investigators have not confirmed the victims’ identities, CBS News Bay Area has learned that all three are recent Piedmont High School graduates from the class of 2023. The victims had all returned home from college for the Thanksgiving vacation.
The weight of grief in the Piedmont town was evident as neighbors began to grieve the deaths of the three young individuals.
Neighbors were slowly discovering the names of three victims. Sandy Martin, a former Piedmont Middle School teacher, revealed that three of the fatalities were in her classroom.
“They were just great kids,” Martin stated through tears. “I know things like this do happen, but no matter the whys, it’s just so horrible.”
The accident occurred shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday between Hampton Road and King Avenue in Piedmont, a small city surrounded by the city of Oakland.
Piedmont police stated when they arrived, the Cybertruck was engulfed in flames after colliding with a tree. The three passengers of the vehicle were pronounced deceased at the spot.
According to authorities, the driver of a car behind the Cybertruck at the time of the incident rescued a fourth occupant from the flaming vehicle. According to police, the victim was rushed to the hospital with unknown injuries and remains in critical condition after surgery.
Authorities have not revealed the victim’s identity, although they are thought to be two males and one woman. Police claimed the group looked to have left a gathering before the crash. It was unclear if alcohol was served at the gathering.
CBS News Bay Area discovered Friday morning from the mother of a crash survivor that the three people killed were Jack Nelson and Soren Dixon, both men. Krysta Tsukahara, the female victim, has been recognized. Jordan Miller, a survivor who remains in the hospital, has been named.
Piedmont police said the 911 call center received an alert from an iPhone inside the vehicle, indicating the location of the crash. Shortly after, a resident called the department’s dispatch center to report the incident and the vehicle was on fire, according to police.
Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers told a press conference later Wednesday morning that the officers who came first tried to extinguish the fire with their fire extinguishers, but it was too powerful. According to Bowers, Piedmont firemen eventually arrived to extinguish the fire.
More Local News:
- One Person Killed in Early Morning Shooting on Patina Drive in Tampa, Investigation Ongoing
- Woman Killed in Single-vehicle Crash on State Highway 22 Near Milburn, Two Children Survive
The Cybertruck may have been moving too fast when it collided with the retaining wall along the road before slamming into the tree, and Bowers stated that speed played a role in the crash.
“It’s fair to assume that speed was a factor. Are there any other variables involved? That is entirely plausible, but speed is most likely a component in this crash,” Bowers explained.
Other factors surrounding the incident and the following fire were still being investigated, Bowers said, adding that there was no evidence of technical difficulties with the vehicle or that the Cybertruck’s lithium battery contributed to the fire.
“We’re very new into this investigation — the California Highway Patrol, us, the Piedmont Fire Department — so there’s no indication that there were mechanical effects that were the primary cause for the collision,” Mr. Bowers said. “All that is still very much under investigation at this point.”
Piedmont incident Chief Dave Brannigan stated that the incident was more “like a typical car fire” and was extinguished relatively quickly.
“Due to the quick nature of being able to suppress the fire, we don’t think the main lithium batteries of the car were on fire, but that’s going to be determined as part of the investigation,” Brannigan said reporters.
Bowers acknowledged the horrible scene that first responders had to deal with but said he wanted to concentrate his thoughts on the victims and their families.
“I will tell you that our women and men who answered this call did everything they could. “And it’s devastating,” Bowers remarked. “But again, the devastation pales in comparison to what these families are dealing with at this point the day before Thanksgiving.”
The area surrounding the incident was blocked off for many hours while investigators examined the situation.
On December 4, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that investigators were analyzing information from authorities and Tesla on the fatal crash.
City officials announced Wednesday afternoon that the East Bay community’s annual Thanksgiving morning turkey trot, which raises money for kids athletic programs, would begin with a brief remembrance.
“As Piedmont grieves the tragic loss of three community members in a fatal vehicle collision early Wednesday morning and offers support to survivors, City officials encourage residents to consider joining together on Thanksgiving morning,” the statement said. “This year’s Turkey Trot will take on new meaning as an opportunity to connect, comfort one another, and mourn as a community during this sorrowful time.”
Piedmont Mayor Jennifer Cavenaugh will commence the ceremony with brief memorial words before leading the community in a minute of quiet. The event will be held Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at the Piedmont Exedra, near the intersection of Highland and Magnolia Avenues.