Northern California community mourns victims of Cybertruck crash at Thanksgiving Turkey Trot event
The community of Piedmont, California came together Thursday morning for its annual Turkey Trot event which was in essence a memorial for three young adults killed in a horrific crash of a Tesla Cybertruck on Wednesday.
A shaken Piedmont Mayor Jen Cavanaugh took a moment to remember the college students who were home for the holidays when their Cybertruck was involved in a fiery crash just after 3 a.m. Wednesday on Hampton Road and King Avenue.
Piedmont, with a population of about 10,000, is surrounded on all sides by the city of Oakland.
Cavanaugh said she had struggled since the night before to find the words to address the attendees at the Turkey Trot, many who were sobbing in the brisk morning chill.
"For families who lost those who are so precious to them, there are no words to capture the depth of their sorrow," said Cavanaugh. There are no words to express how much these kids mean to us."
Cavanaugh also asked for a moment of silence among the tearful crowd gathered in honor of the victims of the crash and urged them to hug each other before the start of the race.
"Piedmont, thank you for showing up in community, we appreciate you," Cavanaugh said. "Please turn and give a friend a hug. We all need each other today."
Three people died in the crash and a fourth occupant of the vehicle was pulled from the flaming wreckage by the driver of a vehicle that was behind the Cybertruck when the crash happened, police said. Cavanaugh said the victim had life-threatening injuries and was undergoing surgery as she was speaking.
Piedmont police did not release the identities of the three people killed but CBS News Bay Area learned all three were Piedmont High School graduates from the class of 2023. The victims were all home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Investigators believe speed was a contributing factor in the crash. Other circumstances surrounding the cause of the crash and the resulting fire were still under investigation. There was no sign of any mechanical problems with the vehicle or that the Cybertruck's lithium battery played a role in the fire, police said.
