Survivor, 3 victims killed in Northern California Cybertruck crash identified by family
The mother of the survivor of Wednesday morning's horrific Tesla Cybertruck crash in Piedmont, California, that left three young adults from the East Bay community dead on Friday identified her son and the three other victims.
The crash happened just after 3 a.m. Wednesday on Hampton Road and King Avenue in Piedmont, a small community embedded within the city of Oakland.
Piedmont police said when officers arrived, the Cybertruck was engulfed in flames after crashing into a tree. Three occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth occupant was pulled from the burning vehicle by the driver of a car that was behind the Cybertruck when the crash happened, authorities said.
During a Friday interview with CBS News Bay Area reporter Da Lin, the mother of the sole survivor of the terrible collision identified her son and the three victims who died in the crash.
The mother, Samantha Miller, said that her son Jordan Miller was back in surgery late Friday morning. She confirmed that he is a 20-year-old sophomore at University of Wisconsin.
"We're just taking it day by day," Miller said. She also said she had been in contact with the families of the other victims.
"As as you would expect, it's a devastating situation. And you know, we're all thinking about the kids that were lost. They're not kids anymore, but they still are to us."
Miller also confirmed the identities of the other three young people who died in the crash. The two male victims were Jack Nelson and Soren Dixon, and the female victim was Krysta Tsukahara.
All three of the crash victims who died graduated from Piedmont High School in 2023 and were sophomores at their respective colleges. Nelson attended the University of Colorado, while Dixon was a student at USC and Tsukahara was studying at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta.
Miller said she and her family were grateful for the outpouring of sympathy and support they have received from other Piedmont residents.
"Piedmont is a wonderful community," Miller said. "We have many close friends, and they've been incredibly kind."
A candlelight vigil for the victims was at Piedmont Park early Friday evening drew a large crowd of people to pay their respects to the victims who lost their lives and show their support for Miller.
There is a growing memorial at the site of the crash where friends, family and community members have been leaving flowers and notes for the victims. The crash victims were all home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Wendell Laidley dropped off flowers. He attended the University of Colorado with Nelson.
"He was a kind, caring, and charismatic person," Laidley said of his friend. He noted they met at a football game and had a class together. Their common Bay Area roots also made for an instant connection.
"It's just an unspeakable tragedy," Laidley said. "Life is precious and we have to cherish it."
Many people who stopped by the site said they either went to school with the victims or their kids attended school with them.
"It's just really devastating, honestly, to know they had a bright future ahead of them," said Piedmont High alumnus Ava Hersch.
"With it happening the day before Thanksgiving, it's a lot," said Alyssa Wong, another Piedmont High grad. "I'm holding closer to my friends and my family."
While the circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, on Wednesday Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said the Cybertruck may have been traveling too fast when it hit the retaining wall along the road before crashing into the tree.
He said it was clear speed was at least one factor in the crash.
"It's safe to say that speed was a factor. Now, are there other factors associated? That is certainly possible, but speed is likely a contributing factor to this collision," said Bowers.
Other circumstances surrounding the cause of the crash and the resulting fire were still under investigation, Bowers said, adding there was no sign of any mechanical problems with the vehicle or that the Cybertruck's lithium battery played a role in the fire.
"We're very new into this investigation -- the California Highway Patrol, us, the Piedmont Fire Department -- so there's no indication that there were mechanical effects that were the primary cause for the collision," said Bowers. "All that is still very much under investigation at this point."
The deadly crash that took the lives of three promising young adults has left the small community of Piedmont shaken by their grief.
Residents came together Thursday morning for its annual Turkey Trot event which transformed into a memorial for the crash victims.
Grief-stricken Piedmont Mayor Jen Cavenaugh took a moment to remember the college students.
"I went to bed last night thinking the words might come today for what to say," said Cavenaugh. "It turned out there are no words that will bring these kids back to us and make this all okay. For families who lost those who are so precious to them, there are no words to capture the depth of their sorrow. There are no words to express how much these kids mean to us."
