Soren Dixon, Krysta Tsukahara and Jack Nelson died in a Cybertruck crash in Piedmont, Calif., on Nov. 27, 2024.

Courtesy of the Dixon, Tsukahara and Nelson families

Three college students have been identified as the victims in a fatal Bay Area Cybertruck crash on the day before Thanksgiving. A fourth student survived and is in the hospital; all were class of 2023 Piedmont High School grads reportedly back in the Bay Area for the holiday week.

A cellphone’s automatic collision alert was sent to the Piedmont Police Department shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Officers were dispatched to Hampton Road and King Avenue, where they discovered the mangled Cybertruck “fully engulfed in flames,” the police department said in a statement. A passerby beat police to the scene and helped the lone survivor out of the burning wreckage. Due to the intensity of the fire, the other occupants were not able to be reached in time.

On Saturday, the University of Southern California identified one of the deceased as Soren Dixon. According to Dixon’s LinkedIn, he was pursuing a degree in the biological sciences department and a member of the USC club lacrosse team. “Soren lit up a room, made friends easily, smiled and laughed often, and had a unique ability to make everyone feel welcomed and valued,” Dixon’s family wrote in a statement.

Krysta Tsukahara, a sophomore at the Savannah College of Art and Design, was also killed in the crash. Her family described her as “known for her kind and sensitive heart, love for her family and friends, and for her incredible eye for style and design.

”

A memorial for the three college students who died in a Cybertruck crash in Piedmont, Calif., on Nov. 27, 2024.

Andrew Chamings/SFGATE

Jack Nelson, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, Boulder, died at the scene. “More than anything, Jack cared deeply for other people, was a loving and fiercely loyal friend, and had a strong faith he proudly shared through the cross he wore every day,” his family said in a statement.

California Highway Patrol officials are probing the cause of the crash. It appeared the Cybertruck jumped a curb and became wedged between a tree and a retraining wall, decimating the front of the vehicle, Piedmont police said. A preliminary investigation indicated speed was likely a factor, Piedmont police Chief Jeremy Bowers said.