3 high school students killed, 1 seriously injured in Cybertruck accident: reports

Three high school graduates are dead and one is seriously injured after a Tesla Cybertruck crashed near Oakland, California, the day before Thanksgiving.

Wednesday 27 November at 03:08 local time Piedmont police responded after receiving an alert from an iPhone about a collision, Police Chief Jeremy Bowers confirmed in a press conference shared on Facebook.

The officer confirmed that three people had died in the incident, which took place at Hampton Road and King Avenue, after police arrived to find the vehicle “fully engulfed in flames.”

Bowers said one person was seriously injured after the crash and had been taken to the hospital. The officer also confirmed that they had arrived at the scene to find an “uninvolved party pulling one of the occupants from the vehicle.” He said it is “possible” that the people were “at a function together before.”

Bowers did not confirm the victims’ names or ages. He also did not confirm the model of the car at the conference. According to ABC7 News, CROWN and KTVUall four people involved in the crash were 2023 graduates of Piedmont High School, while they reported that the vehicle involved in the crash was a Cybertruck.

ABC7 News added that the victims were sophomores in college, and a mother close to the victims’ families said two men and a woman died in the crash. A woman who knew the victims told KRON they were home from college for the holidays when the crash happened.

At the conference, Bowers said they are investigating whether alcohol or drugs played a factor in the crash.

“Speed ​​is likely a contributing factor in this collision,” he added. Bowers also said police were initially unable to extinguish the “intense” flames, but firefighters quickly brought the fire under control upon arrival.

“There is no indication that there were mechanical effects that were the primary cause of the collision,” Bowers said, adding that the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Sandy Martin, who reportedly taught the victims in middle school, told ABC7 News, “They’re smart kids, they’re good kids. They’re also … kids who were very supportive of their friends.”

“This shouldn’t happen to any kids. But knowing them makes it worse,” Martin added.

The outlet, citing police, reported that the vehicle “jumped the curb, hit a cement wall and then wedged between the wall and a tree.”

Never miss a story – sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“This is just a tragic loss of life,” Bowers told KTVU. “We do not know the cause of the collision, and during the holiday season, our hearts go out to the families who will have to deal with this tragedy.”

“We’re just (devastated). I know the family whose son is in the hospital right now. I know the other families,” neighbor Aileen Desoto told ABC7 News.

“I know he’s had surgery. He’s recovering. He had some burns. He’s under sedation. So we hope he recovers,” Desoto added, according to the newspaper.

Bowers did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. PEOPLE also reached out to the Piedmont Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol for comment.