Three people were killed and another seriously injured when a Tesla Cybertruck crashed in California’s Bay Area in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.
The vehicle was still on fire when first responders arrived at the scene in Piedmont, a suburb east of Oakland, Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers told a news conference.
Officers attempted to tackle the blaze, “but the fire was too intense for the extinguishers to be effective,” he said. The Piedmont Fire Department then arrived and put out the fire.
“Tragically this collision resulted in three people losing their lives. One individual was seriously injured and taken to an area hospital,” Bowers added.
Police received an iPhone notification about the crash at 3:08 a.m. and someone called 911 two minutes later, when officers were already on the scene, he said.
“Our women and men who responded to this call did everything they could. And it’s devastating. But the devastation pales into comparison to what these families are dealing with this morning, the day before Thanksgiving,” he added.
None of the victims or the survivor have been identified out of respect for the families, police said. NBC Bay Area reported that all four people inside the vehicle were home from college for the holidays. Flowers have been left at the scene.
A nearby motorist who saw the car on fire was able to reach the vehicle and rescue the injured man, Bowers said.
Aileen DeSoto, a friend of the family of the man being treated in hospital, told NBC Bay Area he had undergone surgery and was in recovery.
An investigation is underway into the cause of the crash, in collaboration with California Highway Patrol, but Bowers said it was possible that the victims had attended a local function. He added that “speed was a factor” in the crash and that the site wasn’t a high-risk area for road collisions.
Fire Chief Dave Brannigan told the news conference that it was unlikely it was the Cybertruck’s lithium battery that caught fire because firefighters’ had been able to extinguish the blaze quickly.
He added the cause of the fire would be investigated.
Sandy Martin, who taught some of the victims in Middle School, told NBC Bay Area: “This shouldn’t happen to any kid. But when you know them, it just makes it worse.”
The city of Piedmont plans to go ahead with its traditional Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, a 5 kilometer run or walk, NBC Bay Area reported, adding it would be preceded by remarks about the crash from Mayor Jen Cavenaugh and a moment of silence.
