Three people were killed and another person was injured in a fiery crash in Piedmont early Wednesday morning, police said.
Police suspect speeding played a role in the solo-vehicle wreck, which happened at about 3 a.m. in the area of Hampton Road and King Avenue.
At 3:08 a.m., the 911 dispatch center received an alert from an iPhone indicating that a collision occurred, Piedmont police Chief Jeremy Bowers said. A short time later, a 911 caller reported that there had been a crash and a vehicle was on fire.
First responders found the Cybertruck engulfed in flames.
"Our officers applied their fire extinguishers in an attempt to extinguish the flames, but the fire was too intense for the extinguishers to be effective," Bowers said.
Four people were inside the truck. Three died at the scene. The fourth person – pulled out of the burning truck by the driver of another vehicle who knew the victims – was taken to a local hospital in serious condition, Bowers said.
Information about the victims wasn't immediately provided by police.
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"In respect to the families and the tragic nature of what has occurred this morning, we are not going to release any victim information at this point in time," Bowers said.
Alieen Desoto, who is friends with the injured victim’s family, said two men and one woman died in the crash. She described the victims as friends and popular athletes who graduated from Piedmont High School. She said they were home from college for the holidays.
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"Just devastating," Desoto said. "I feel so sorry for those families. I can't imagine what they are going through."
Sandy Martin taught the victims in middle school.
"They're smart kids, they're good kids," she said. "They were also kids that were really supportive of all their friends."
Video footage from the scene showed the mangled Cybertruck wedged between a retaining wall and a tree.
The cause of the crash is being investigated, but Bowers said "it's safe to say that speed was a factor."
"Now are there other factors associated? That is certainly possible," he added. "But speed is likely a contributing factor in this collision."
Bowers said the investigation is in its infancy, adding that details could change.
"I want to keep the focus on the victims and the families that lost their loved ones," Bowers said. "I will tell you that our women and men who responded to this call did everything they could. It's devastating. The devastation pales in comparison to what these families are dealing with this morning the day before Thanksgiving."
Piedmont fire Chief Dave Brannigan said the speed in extinguishing the flames meant it was unlikely that the Cybertruck's large lithium-ion battery had caught fire. He called the incident “more along the lines of a typical car fire.”
Bowers, addressing a question about recent Cybertruck recalls, said “there’s no indication that there were mechanical effects that were the primary cause for the collision.”
The Cybertruck, which has been on sale for about a year, has been recalled six times for safety problems, most recently on Nov. 5 because a fault in an electric inverter can cause the drive wheels to lose power.
Other recalls covered rearview camera images that don’t activate immediately after shifting into reverse, trim pieces that can fall off, windshield wipers that can fail, and an incorrect font size on instrument panel warning lights. In April, the futuristic trucks were recalled to fix gas pedals that can get stuck in the interior trim.
Meanwhile, city officials are encouraging residents to attend Thursday morning's annual Turkey Trot, where Piedmont Mayor Jen Cavenaugh will open the event with memorial remarks and a moment of silence.
Pidemont's Turkey Trot is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Piedmont Exedra, located at Highland and Magnolia avenues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
