PIEDMONT, CA—A Tesla Cybertruck crashed and caught fire in northern California early Wednesday, killing three people and badly injuring one more, according to authorities.
Speed was probably a contributing role in the single-vehicle incident, according to Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers, but he also stated that investigators would keep looking into the specifics of the tragedy.
Bowers would not provide further information, although the Cybertruck’s occupants had been returning from a function at approximately 3:10 a.m. on Wednesday. The surviving victim was able to be pulled from the Cybertruck by someone who had also attended the event but was in a different vehicle.
Citing family privacy, the chief refused to divulge any identifying information on the victims.
The fire department promptly extinguished the fire, despite the fact that the responding police officers were unable to use their fire extinguishers to put out the flames.
According to Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan, it was improbable that the Cybertruck’s sizable lithium-ion battery had caught fire because of how quickly the fire was put out. He described the event as more akin to a normal vehicle fire.
In response to a query on recent Cybertruck recalls, Bowers stated that there is no proof that mechanical factors were the main reason for the crash.
Since being on sale nearly a year ago, the Cybertruck has been recalled six times for safety issues. The most recent recall occurred on November 5 because an electric inverter malfunction might cause the driving wheels to lose power.
Additional recalls included windshield wipers that could malfunction, trim parts that could fall off, rearview camera images that don’t activate right away after putting the car in reverse, and warning lights on the instrument panel with the wrong text size. The futuristic vehicles were recalled in April to replace gas pedals that could become lodged in the interior decor.
Piedmont is located roughly 2.5 miles northeast of Oakland.
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