Piedmont Cybertruck crash driver was driving at 'high rate of speed,' under the influence, said CHP

By Tor Smith

Piedmont Cybertruck crash driver was driving at 'high rate of speed,' under the influence, said CHP

(KRON) -- The California Highway Patrol (CHP) released its investigation report on Friday detailing the Thanksgiving eve Tesla Cybertruck crash that killed three college students in Piedmont. CHP said the teenage driver was traveling at a "high rate of speed" as well as being under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the collision.

The crash happened around 3 a.m. on Nov. 27 on Hampton Road. When Piedmont police arrived, they found the vehicle had crashed into a tree and was engulfed in flames. The Piedmont Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.

The victims were identified as 19-year-old Soren Dixon, the driver of the vehicle, 20-year-old Jack Nelson, and 19-year-old Krysta Tsukahara.

The fourth victim -- the only survivor from the crash -- suffered major burns, major internal injuries and a fractured vertebra. Police last provided an update in early December that he was hospitalized in stable condition.

On Feb. 13, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Bureau released toxicology reports that showed all three victims had multiple substances in their system at the time of the collision. The Coroner's Bureau said Dixon, who was driving, had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.195%. Normal blood alcohol levels range from 0% to 0.05%.

The Coroner's Bureau determined that all three individuals tested positive for ethanol, amphetamines, benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), cocaine, cocaethylene (a compound formed when alcohol and cocaine are used together), ecgonine methyl ester (another cocaine metabolite), and carboxyhemoglobin. Dixon was the only victim who also tested positive for methamphetamine.

According to the CHP report, a witness who knew the victims had attended a get-together with them and later arrived at the crash scene. The witness said that Dixon "consumed approximately eight alcoholic beverages ranging from beer and Vodka." The witness, who had been following behind Dixon's vehicle to another friend's home, recounted that he "turned the corner, observed a vehicle on fire and knew it was [Dixon's car] based on the taillights."

The CHP report said due to Dixon's alcohol intoxication, drug impairment and unsafe speed, he "was unable to negotiate the curve in the roadway," leading to the crash.

The families of the victims shared a series of public statements after the incident. Dixon's family said he "had a boundless enthusiasm for life and was known for his infectious smile, his love of family and friends, his passion for sports, and his deep affection for all animals." Nelson's family described him as an athlete who loved the outdoors, often spending his free time on adventures from the ocean to the mountains. Tsukahara was a 2023 graduate of Piedmont High School and a sophomore at Savannah College of Art and Design.

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