Driver dies after Tesla slams into tree in Lake Balboa
A man died after he lost control of the Tesla he was driving and hit a tree along the border of Lake Balboa and Encino early Saturday morning, May 28, authorities said.
Los Angeles police and firefighters responded to the crash in the 17700 block of Victory Boulevard, just east of White Oak Avenue, about 12:30 a.m. and found the man trapped inside the vehicle, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.
Investigators believe the man, 40-50 years old, was driving at a high rate of speed westbound along Victory Boulevard, Officer B. Llamas of the LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division said.
The man died at the scene. His identity was not released pending notification of his relatives.
Video in the aftermath of the crash showed a dark-colored Tesla in the roadway with major front-end and driver’s side damage as firefighters worked to cut off the driver’s side door. A tire lay in the middle of the roadway a short distance away from the car. A power pole also appeared to have been taken out.
It wasn’t immediately known if the Tesla’s autopilot feature was turned on at the time of the crash.