By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-28 17:32:59 | Updated at 2024-11-28 19:51:52
2 hours ago
Three recent high school graduates were killed and another was seriously injured when a speeding Tesla Cybertruck crashed and burst into flames in California.
The four friends were driving the futuristic-looking electric vehicle home from an event in Piedmont just after 3 a.m. Wednesday when it “jumped the curb, struck a cement wall, and then wedged in between the wall and a tree,” police told KGO News.
Someone driving behind them from the same event saw the crashed truck and managed to pull one of the passengers to safety, cops told the outlet.
First responders — alerted by an automatic warning sent by one of the passenger’s iPhones — found the Cybertruck “fully engulfed in flames” and were unable to save the other three stuck inside, police said.
Three high school graduates are dead and one is in hospital after a Tesla Cybertruck crashed at high-speed and erupted into flames in the early hours of Wednesday. ABC 7 News“This is just a tragic loss of life,” said Piedmont Police Department Chief Jeremy Bowers.
Speed was “one contributing factor,” while the investigation continues to look at whether drink or drugs were involved, the chief said.
However, there was “no indication” mechanical issues were to blame, he said.
Police have not identified the victims, but friends and former teachers told KGO that all four — three men and one woman — recently graduated from Piedmont High School and were “very popular” soccer players.
“They are smart kids, they are good kids,” said Sandy Martin, who was their middle school teacher.
“We are just devasted,” said Aileen Desoto, a mom who is friends with the four victims’ families.
The lone survivor had surgery for burns but “we are hoping he recovers,” the family friend said.
The blaze was in full swing and so intense that police could not extinguish it and had to wait for the Fire Department to finally snuff out the fireball. ABC 7 NewsEarlier this month, four people miraculously survived after a horrific crash in Mexico left a Tesla Cybertruck completely mangled and torn to shreds.
The stainless steel electric SUV flipped over after crashing into a statue on a street in Guadalajara, Jalisco — tossing an 18-year-old girl from the vehicle while three others were trapped inside the twisted wreckage until they could be cut out by rescue crews.
Tesla has issued a slew of recalls for 2024 Cybertruck models this year. Last month, Elon Musk’s company said it would recall more than 27,000 of the trucks due to delayed rear-view camera images that could impair driver visibility and increase crash risks.
They also voluntarily recalled thousands of the trucks back in April over faulty accelerator pedals that could risk causing fatal accidents and issued another in June over issues with windshield wipers and exterior trim.
Musk launched the Blade Runner-inspired truck to refresh the company’s aging lineup amid slowing EV demand.
