Officials identify 3 college students killed in fiery Cybertruck crash: 'Unimaginable loss'

Natalie Neysa Alund
Updated Mon, December 2, 2024 at 9:02 PM EST

Local officials in Northern California have identified three people killed in a fiery Tesla CyberTruck crash less than 24 hours before Thanksgiving Day. … The City of Piedmont identified the fatality victims to USA TODAY as Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and Krysta Tsukahara, all college-age students who graduated from Piedmont High School in 2023.

The crash took place around 3 a.m. in Piedmont, a small affluent area community enclaved by Oakland in Alameda County and the cause of the crash remained under investigation by law enforcement Monday. … During the last census, the city's population was just over 11,000.

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Family and friends are mourning Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and Krysta Tsukahara (L to R) all college students who graduated from Piedmont High School in 2023. The three died after a Tesla Cybertruck crashed on Nov. 27, 2024 in Piedmont, California.

According to a preliminary investigation by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Cybertruck jumped a curb, hit a tree and retaining wall, then came to rest with the front end of the vehicle partly wrapped around the tree.

The Cybertruck caught fire and fully burned, but the Piedmont Police Department, also investigating the crash, told KRON-TV the vehicle's battery did not explode or burst into flames.

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