3 dead after Tesla Cybertruck hits tree, retaining wall in California: Reports

Three people were killed in the San Francisco Bay Area after the Cybertruck they were occupying struck a tree and retaining wall, according to multiple reports citing state highway patrol.

The crash occurred on Wednesday about 3:08 a.m. in Piedmont, California near Seaview Avenue and Hampton Road, KRON and KCRA reported, citing California Highway Patrol. The collision involved a Tesla Cybertruck, which jumped a curb and then hit a tree and retaining wall, coming to rest with the front end of the vehicle partially wrapped around the tree, the California-based TV stations reported, per state troopers.

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

USA TODAY contacted California Highway Patrol and Piedmont police on Wednesday but has not received a response.

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Piedmont police chief: 'A tragic loss of life'

One of the individuals seated in the front of the Tesla was extracted from the vehicle by a resident who was passing by, troopers said, KRON reported. That person was taken to a hospital in critical condition, while three other occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.

Neighbors told KRON at the scene that the deceased were college students from the area who were visiting home for the holidays.

"This is just a tragic loss of life," Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers told KTVU, a Fox TV station in Oakland, Calif. "We don’t know the cause of the collision and during the holiday season, our hearts go out to the families that are going to have to deal with this tragedy."

Piedmont police are investigating the crash. Bowers told KTVU the vehicle's speed was a likely contributing factor, but police have not yet ruled out drugs or alcohol as being an influence.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tesla Cybertruck accident kills 3 in Piedmont, California, reports say