Latest news with #SorenDixon
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Witness Recounts Cybertruck Crash That Killed 3 College Students in New Police Video: 'I Just See a Car in a Ball of Flame'
New footage has surfaced of the aftermath of the November 2024 Cybertruck crash in Piedmont, Calif., that left three college students dead In one clip, obtained by Fox affiliate KTVU, a witness tells officers that he spotted the vehicle in a "ball of flame" when he decided to help The Piedmont Police Department previously identified the driver as Soren Dixon, 19, and the deceased passengers as Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19 Newly released police bodycam footage shows new insight into the California Cybertruck crash that left three teens dead in November 2024. On Thursday, April 10, Fox affiliate KTVU reported that it obtained 16 new videos and more than 100 photos from the fatal crash in Piedmont, following a California Public Records request. A Tesla Cybertruck was found to be speeding when it crashed into a tree on Nov. 27, killing the driver and two passengers. One other person was injured as a result. The Piedmont Police Department identified the driver as Soren Dixon, 19, and the deceased passengers as Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19. The California Highway Patrol later concluded that the crash was the result of "a combination of driving under the influence of drugs and unsafe speed," according to the San Francisco Chronicle, KTVU and CBS News. In the new footage, police interview a witness shortly after the crash. KTVU opted not to name the friend, who previously detailed his attempts to save the passengers in a police statement. Related: Drugs, Speeding to Blame for Cybertruck Crash that Killed 3 Involving Teen Driving at Twice the Legal Limit: Cops In the clip, the young man can be heard telling an officer that Dixon "seemed fine" when they headed out together. 'Legally, no. Physically, from a visible standpoint, yes,' he added, when asked if he thought his friend could drive. The friend then told the officer he was driving behind the Cybertruck to a "friend's house down the street," when he spotted the vehicle after the crash. "When we turned the corner, I just see a car in a ball of flame," he continued. 'I just saw the back of it, and I knew it was the Cybertruck." The friend added, "So I stopped and I got out. I tried to open the doors, but everything was so damaged. I got a stick and I broke the front and back windows. I pulled the front passenger out, but there was too much fire and the airbags and I couldn't get to the rest of them.' Related: 3 Calif. High School Graduates Killed, 1 Seriously Injured in Cybertruck Crash: Reports KTVU previously reported, citing the California Highway Patrol, that Dixon went through an intersection where the roadway curved and did not adjust his speed. The vehicle veered off the road and then struck a tree before crashing into a retaining wall. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. USA Today, The San Francisco Standard and ABC 7 News all reported in February that Dixon had cocaine in his system and had a blood alcohol concentration that was more than twice the legal limit, citing a toxicology report. Both deceased passengers also had alcohol and cocaine in their systems, per the Chronicle, which reported that the deaths were ruled accidental. All three victims were college students at the time of the crash and had graduated from Piedmont High School, per USA Today. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
New images released in deadly Thanksgiving Eve Piedmont Cybertruck crash
(KRON) — There are new details on the deadly Thanksgiving Eve Cybertruck crash in Piedmont. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has released videos and pictures from the scene where three young people died. Witness of triple fatal Piedmont Cybertruck crash describes what happened Moments before the crash on Nov. 27, videos provided by CHP show the Cybertruck speeding in a residential neighborhood in Piedmont. A flash of light fills the screen, showing the moment of impact into the tree igniting a fire. The CHP report determined that the driver, Soren Dixon, was unable to handle the curve of the road, crossing lanes on Hampton Road and swerving into the tree. Soren Dixon, 19, Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19, all died from smoke inhalation and severe burns. According to CHP's investigation, a witness — a friend of the college students — was in a car behind the victims. He recalls their night leading up to the crash, attending a party nearby and then stopping at the driver's home to pick up the Cybertruck. Piedmont Cybertruck crash driver was driving at 'high rate of speed,' under the influence, said CHP 'He stopped and took off,' the witness told officers at the scene. 'I don't remember how fast he was going. The Uber in front of me stopped at the sign and turned left; I continued straight. I stopped at Hampton and Seaview and when I turned the corner, I saw a car on fire wedged between a wall and a tree. I instantly knew by the tail it was the Cybertruck.' A fourth person in the car, identified as Jordan Miller, was taken to a nearby home after being rescued from the burning car. The person who saved him used a tree branch to break the window. 'I attempted to punch the window to no avail,' the witness said. 'I then looked around and grabbed a branch, 4-5 ft long and 1/3 foot in diameter. I used it to bash the window, it took 10 – 15 hits of the window to crack completely and the top right corner to pop out of its frame.' 'He was barely conscious, only moaning and groaning,' continued the witness. 'He had his seatbelt on, and I couldn't reach it, so I scream at him to undo it. Eventually he was able to unbuckle, and I was able to pull him up and out of the window. I was able to break and pull the window from its frame. But once I got in, the fire had made its way throughout the entire car to the point where I couldn't even stand by the car.' CHP photos show the devastating aftermath — the truck is mangled with a tree sticking through the smashed hood of the car. CHP confirms a combination of alcohol, drugs, and high speeds caused the driver to lose control and crash into the tree. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
California Highway Patrol blames drug use, speeding for fiery Cybertruck crash that killed 3
PIEDMONT, Calif. (AP) — Drug use and excessive speed were to blame for last year's fiery crash of a Tesla Cybertruck that killed three college students near San Francisco, the California Highway Patrol said in a preliminary report. Four people were in the Cybertruck when it veered off a road, slammed into a retaining wall and burst into flames shortly after 3 a.m. on Nov. 27 in Piedmont. 'Officers determined that a combination of driving under the influence of drugs and unsafe speed were the causes' of the crash, the highway patrol said in a statement last week. Although police officers who responded were unable to douse the flames with their fire extinguishers, the fire department put the blaze out quickly, officials said at the time. Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan said the day after the crash that the speed in extinguishing the flames meant it was unlikely that the Cybertruck's large lithium-ion battery had caught fire. He called the incident 'more along the lines of a typical car fire.' Killed in the single-vehicle crash were Soren Dixon, 19, Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19. The fourth occupant, Jordan Miller, 20, survived after someone in another car managed to pull him out of the wreckage. All four were home from college for Thanksgiving break and graduates of Piedmont High School, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday. The Chronicle cited toxicology reports that determined the three victims who died had alcohol, cocaine and other substances in their system. Their deaths were ruled an accident because they were caused by asphyxia due to inhalation of smoke from the car, and burns were a 'significant' factor in their deaths, the autopsy report said. The highway patrol's investigation is ongoing and a final reported is expected within months, the agency said. The Cybertruck, which has been available for purchase for more than a year, has been recalled multiple times for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power. Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix gas pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim.
The Independent
03-03-2025
- The Independent
California Highway Patrol blames drug use, speeding for fiery Cybertruck crash that killed 3
Drug use and excessive speed were to blame for last year's fiery crash of a Tesla Cybertruck that killed three college students near San Francisco, the California Highway Patrol said in a preliminary report. Four people were in the Cybertruck when it veered off a road, slammed into a retaining wall and burst into flames shortly after 3 a.m. on Nov. 27 in Piedmont. 'Officers determined that a combination of driving under the influence of drugs and unsafe speed were the causes' of the crash, the highway patrol said in a statement last week. Although police officers who responded were unable to douse the flames with their fire extinguishers, the fire department put the blaze out quickly, officials said at the time. Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan said the day after the crash that the speed in extinguishing the flames meant it was unlikely that the Cybertruck's large lithium-ion battery had caught fire. He called the incident 'more along the lines of a typical car fire.' Killed in the single-vehicle crash were Soren Dixon, 19, Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19. The fourth occupant, Jordan Miller, 20, survived after someone in another car managed to pull him out of the wreckage. All four were home from college for Thanksgiving break and graduates of Piedmont High School, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday. The Chronicle cited toxicology reports that determined the three victims who died had alcohol, cocaine and other substances in their system. Their deaths were ruled an accident because they were caused by asphyxia due to inhalation of smoke from the car, and burns were a 'significant' factor in their deaths, the autopsy report said. The highway patrol's investigation is ongoing and a final reported is expected within months, the agency said. The Cybertruck, which has been available for purchase for more than a year, has been recalled multiple times for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power. Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix gas pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim.
Associated Press
03-03-2025
- Associated Press
California Highway Patrol blames drug use, speeding for fiery Cybertruck crash that killed 3
PIEDMONT, Calif. (AP) — Drug use and excessive speed were to blame for last year's fiery crash of a Tesla Cybertruck that killed three college students near San Francisco, the California Highway Patrol said in a preliminary report. Four people were in the Cybertruck when it veered off a road, slammed into a retaining wall and burst into flames shortly after 3 a.m. on Nov. 27 in Piedmont. 'Officers determined that a combination of driving under the influence of drugs and unsafe speed were the causes' of the crash, the highway patrol said in a statement last week. Although police officers who responded were unable to douse the flames with their fire extinguishers, the fire department put the blaze out quickly, officials said at the time. Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan said the day after the crash that the speed in extinguishing the flames meant it was unlikely that the Cybertruck's large lithium-ion battery had caught fire. He called the incident 'more along the lines of a typical car fire.' Killed in the single-vehicle crash were Soren Dixon, 19, Jack Nelson, 20, and Krysta Tsukahara, 19. The fourth occupant, Jordan Miller, 20, survived after someone in another car managed to pull him out of the wreckage. All four were home from college for Thanksgiving break and graduates of Piedmont High School, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday. The Chronicle cited toxicology reports that determined the three victims who died had alcohol, cocaine and other substances in their system. Their deaths were ruled an accident because they were caused by asphyxia due to inhalation of smoke from the car, and burns were a 'significant' factor in their deaths, the autopsy report said. The highway patrol's investigation is ongoing and a final reported is expected within months, the agency said. The Cybertruck, which has been available for purchase for more than a year, has been recalled multiple times for safety problems, including once in November because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power. Last April, the futuristic-looking trucks were recalled to fix gas pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim.
