Three college students have been identified as the victims in a fatal Bay Area Cybertruck crash on the day before Thanksgiving. A fourth kid survived and is in the hospital; all are Piedmont High School graduates from the class of 2023 who are apparently returning to the Bay Area for the holiday week.
A cellphone’s automatic collision alarm was transmitted to the Piedmont Police Department soon after 3 a.m. on Wednesday. Officers responded to Hampton Road and King Avenue, where they located the wrecked Cybertruck “fully engulfed in flames,” according to a police statement. A passerby beat authorities to the scene and assisted the lone survivor out of the smouldering wreckage. Due of the severity of the fire, the other passengers were unable to be reached in time.
On Saturday, the University of Southern California identified one of the victims as Soren Dixon. Dixon was a member of the USC club lacrosse team and was seeking a degree in biological sciences, according to his LinkedIn profile. “Soren lit up a room, made friends easily, smiled and laughed often, and had a unique ability to make everyone feel welcomed and valued,” Dixon’s family said in a statement.
Krysta Tsukahara, a sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design, also died in the incident. Her relatives characterised her as “known for her kind and sensitive heart, love for her family and friends, and for her incredible eye for style and design.”
Jack Nelson, a sophomore at the University of Colorado in Boulder, died on the scene. “More than anything, Jack cared deeply for other people, was a loving and fiercely loyal friend, and had a strong faith he proudly shared through the cross he wore every day,” according to a statement from his family.
Officials with the California Highway Patrol are investigating the cause of the crash. Piedmont police reported that the Cybertruck appears to have jumped a curb and was jammed between a tree and a brick wall, destroying the vehicle’s front end. According to Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers, a preliminary investigation revealed that speed was most likely a factor.