A fatal incident involving a Tesla cybertruck in Piedmont is being investigated by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and the California Highway Patrol after three Piedmont highschool seniors died and one other was hospitalized.
The NHTSA said it’s working with the California Highway Patrol to find out the reason for the incident. This is the second fatal accident wherein a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames.
“NHTSA is in the information gathering phase and has not initiated an investigation at this time,” the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration said in a press release. “NHTSA…collects information from the manufacturer and law enforcement.”
The single-vehicle accident occurred at 3:08 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, on Hampton Road when the Cybertruck left the road, struck a retaining wall and hit a tree before bursting into flames, in response to Jeremy Bowers , Piedmont Police Chief .
The vehicle's occupants included 4 Piedmont High School graduates, three of whom – Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and Krysta Tsukahara – died within the rubble. A fourth, unidentified occupant of the vehicle was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, in response to a press release from town of Piedmont.
On Thursday the community mourned the loss of its young residents with flowers placed on the foot of the tree where the victims died.
Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said the incident was “unprecedented” and “devastating” for the Piedmont community. Although the causes are unclear, Bowers said the vehicle could have been speeding on the time of the accident, adding there was no indication that a mechanical failure caused the accident and subsequent fire.
The NHTSA, which is tasked with investigating motorcar safety defects and enforcing safety standards for automakers, and the California Highway Patrol are leading the investigation into how three Piedmont teenagers died within the Cybertruck. The results of the investigation might be provided to PPD, which is chargeable for disseminating the data to the general public.
An initial investigation by Piedmont authorities found no indication that the battery was the source of the hearth or caused an explosion related to the crash, in response to Piedmont Fire Department Chief Brannigan.
The fatal Piedmont accident adds to the growing list of incidents related to the Tesla Cybertruck, which has received widespread attention since its release on November 30, 2023. The automaker has issued six recalls in 2024 and is the topic of diverse NHTSA investigations. The first recall affected 2.2 million Cybertrucks due to small font on warning signs, and more serious recalls have since followed.
In April, Tesla recalled nearly 4,000 vehicles due to a defective accelerator pedal that would cause them to get stuck. On November 13, the electrical vehicle maker released its latest recall for greater than 2,400 Cybertrucks as a consequence of a defect that would cause the vehicles to interrupt down Loss of driver performancein response to NHTSA.
The accident in Piedmont is probably the most serious incident up to now involving the futuristic, metal-clad pickup. The Nov. 27 incident is the second fatal accident involving a Tesla Cybertruck, following an incident in Chambers County, Texas in August wherein a Cybertruck left a road. burst into flames and the driving force was killedsaid Texas media outlet KHOU 11.
According to CHP Golden Gate Division Sergeant Andrew Barclay, the investigation into the Piedmont incident will likely take “at least a few months” as authorities will examine quite a few aspects related to the crash.
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