NHTSA reviewing deadly Northern California Cybertruck crash that killed 3
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is in the process of reviewing details about last week's fatal Tesla Cybertruck crash in the Northern California city of Piedmont that left three young adults dead and a fourth critically injured.
NHTSA officials on Wednesday morning confirmed to CBS News Bay Area that the agency was in the process of collecting information regarding the deadly collision that happened early on the morning of Nov. 27.
"NHTSA is aware of the crash and is gathering information from the manufacturer and law enforcement," the statement issued by the agency said. However, officials noted that they are "in the information gathering stage" and an official investigation has not been opened at this time.
The California Highway Patrol is currently the lead agency in the crash investigation.
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is the part of the U.S. Department of Transportation that focuses on transportation safety in the nation and investigates major incidents and accidents on land, sea and air.
The fiery collision happened just after 3 a.m. Wednesday on Hampton Road and King Avenue in the small East Bay community embedded within the city of Oakland.
Three people died in the crash and a fourth occupant of the vehicle was pulled from the burning wreckage by the driver of a vehicle that was behind the Cybertruck when the crash happened, police said.
The Cybertruck may have been traveling too fast when it hit the retaining wall along the road before crashing into the tree, and Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said at a Wednesday press conference it was clear speed was at least one factor in the crash.
The circumstances surrounding the cause of the crash and the resulting fire were still under investigation, Bowers said on Wednesday. He added there was no sign of any mechanical problems with the vehicle or that the Cybertruck's lithium battery played a role in the fire.
A remembrance for the victims was held on Thanksgiving Day before an annual turkey trot where the mayor of Piedmont spoke about the crash. On Friday, the mother of the surviving crash victim identified her son and the three victims who lost their lives in an interview with CBS News Bay Area.
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.
She 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 four of the crash victims graduated from Piedmont High School in 2023 and were sophomores at their respective colleges. Of the graduates who were killed in the tragedy, 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.
A candlelight vigil for the victims was held at Piedmont Park early Friday evening. The event drew a large crowd of people to pay their respects to the victims who lost their lives and show their support for Miller.
On Saturday, Piedmont officials shared statements from the families of the three victims along with a request for privacy. The notice also said that the families did not intend to make any further public statement.
