Three high school friends died and one person was injured after the TeslaCybertruck they were in crashed and caught fire in California.
The crash happened around 3 a.m. on Hampton Road and King Avenue, a residential area in Piedmont, about 12 miles outside of San Francisco. Moments after the car ignited, the driver of a second car pulled up to the scene and pulled one person out of the vehicle. Officials tried to extinguish the fire after arriving on the scene but were unsuccessful.
The injured individual was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was sedated and is said to be recovering from burn wounds post-surgery. Two of the victims who died were men and one was a woman, a mother close to the victims’ families told ABC 7, adding that they were all very popular soccer players.
Aileen Desoto dropped off flowers at the crash site following the incident. She’s lived in the city for 12 years and knows the people involved.
All of the victims graduated from Piedmont High School in 2023 and were sophomores in college, she told the outlet.
“We are just devasted. I know the family whose son is in the hospital right now. I know the other families,” said Desoto. Speaking of the surviving victim, she said: “I know he has surgery. He is in recovery. He had some burns. He is under sedation. So, we are hoping he recovers.”
The victims’ middle school teacher, Sandy Martin, described the victims as “smart” and “good kids” who were supportive of their friends.
It’s not clear what caused the crash but police say a truck “jumped the curb, struck a cement wall and then wedged in between the wall and a tree.” Speed was likely a factor in the incident, Police Chief Jeremy Bowers told reporters. Officials will work to determine if drugs and alcohol could’ve been involved in the crash.
There are no signs that the car had mechanical problems.
“Due to the quick nature of being able to suppress the fire, we don’t think the main lithium battery of the car were on fire. But that’s going to be determined as part of the investigation,” the city’s Fire Chief, David Brannigan, said.
An iPhone inside the car alerted officials of the accident. The police chief said the victims were coming from a “function” but did not offer further details.
“Our women and men who responded to this call did everything they could, it’s devastating,” said Chief Bowers. “But the devastation (for officers) pales in comparison to what these families are dealing with this morning, the day before Thanksgiving.”
