Three dead, one hospitalized after Cybertruck accident in California

November 29 (UPI) – Three people are dead and a fourth was hospitalized with serious injuries after their Tesla Cybertruck was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Northern California and burst into flames, authorities said.

Police Chief Jeremy Bowers in Piedmont, a city of about 10,600 people just outside Oakland, California, told reporters in a news conference that the accident occurred just after 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday at the intersection of Hampton Road and King Avenue.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Bowers states that there is no evidence that a mechanical problem was the primary cause. He added that speed likely played a role.

He said the four people had exited an unknown function in the Cybertruck before the accident, which an iPhone in the vehicle alerted police to at 3:08 a.m

Bowers said officers arrived two minutes later to find the vehicle “completely engulfed in flames” and a passerby attempting to free an occupant from it.

Officials tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers but were unable to do so due to the intensity of the fire, he said.

Firefighters who arrived on scene at 3:16 a.m. were able to quickly extinguish the flames, Piedmont Fire Chief David Brannigan said.

“Due to the quick extinguishment of the fire, we do not believe the main lithium batteries were on fire, but that will be determined through the investigation,” Brannigan said.

The sole survivor of the accident was pulled from the Cybertruck by a motorist who may have left for the same purpose as the victims, Bowers explained.

Brannigan said the unidentified motorist “probably saved a life.”

“It’s good to know someone is willing to help,” he said.

Out of respect for the families’ privacy, the victims’ identities are not being released to the public at this time, Bowers said.

He told reporters that the crash will have a lasting impact on Piedmont.

“This is a very close-knit community and this community will rally around the members affected by this tragedy,” he said. “But there is no doubt that this will have a huge impact on this community. That has already been the case and will continue to be the case.”

The Cybertruck produced by Tesla and owned by Elon Musk went on sale in November last year. Since then, there have been six recalls, the most recent being earlier this month.