3 killed, 3 injured in California after speeding Tesla flies into power pole and building, knocks out power
A driver and two passengers were killed in a crash that also left three other passengers seriously injured when their Tesla Model 3 struck a curb and went airborne, smashing into a power pole and building in Pasadena, California, early Saturday, authorities said.
The fatal single-vehicle crash happened around 2:30 a.m. as the Tesla carrying six people was traveling at a high speed in a 35-mph zone, Lt. Anthony Russo of the Pasadena Police Department told FOX11 Los Angeles.
Russo said it appears the driver "failed to negotiate a slight curve," causing the car to strike the curb. The car flew through the air, hit the pole, and then crashed through a wall of the building.
Three of the passengers were ejected from the back seat, police said. The driver and two of the passengers died at the scene. Three other passengers were hospitalized in serious condition.
1 WORKER DEAD, ANOTHER INJURED AFTER TRUCK VEERS ONTO SHOULDER OF CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY
The victims included four males and two females between the ages of 17 and 22, Russo said. The victims’ identities were being withheld pending notification of family.
It was unclear whether intoxication was a factor in the crash. Russo said investigators are looking into any data that the Tesla recorded at the time of the crash.
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Nicholas Fernandez, a witness, said he saw three of the ejected victims in the street, as well as downed power lines. He said his residence had lost electricity, though it has since been restored.
More than 500 homes and businesses lost power due to the collision, said Lisa Derderian, a city of Pasadena spokesperson. Derderian said service was restored later Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.