Three young men were killed Saturday and three other people were hospitlized after a Tesla hit a curb, flew into the air and struck two city light poles and a building in Pasadena.
The crash occurred in the area of Foothill Boulevard and Vista Avenue, Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian told City News Service.
The three people taken to trauma centers had injuries that appeared to be “survivable,” Derderian said.
Lt. Anthony Russo of the Pasadena Police Department told the Daily News that the deceased victims were men between the ages of 18 and 21 and the injured were two females and a male whose ages were not immediately available.
The vehicle was a Tesla Model 3 sedan that was traveling westbound on Foothill Boulevard, he said.
Speed was a factor in the crash, according to Russo.
“There was evidence at the scene that alcohol may have been involved, but it’s too soon for us to tell if the driver was impaired or if any of the occupants were under the influence,” he added.
Investigators planned to look into whether the Tesla’s autopilot feature was engaged at the time of the crash.
The driver lost control at a curve and hit a curb, sending the car into the air, Russo said. It struck two city light poles, a utility pole and a building.
“Due to the crash, power was impacted in the area and quickly restored with the exception of a few businesses,” Derderian said, adding that a building sustained some structural damage.