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A fatal incident involving a Tesla cybertruck in Piedmont is being investigated by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and the California Highway Patrol after three Piedmont highschool seniors died and one other was hospitalized.

The NHTSA said it’s working with the California Highway Patrol to find out the reason for the incident. This is the second fatal accident wherein a Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames.

“NHTSA is in the information gathering phase and has not initiated an investigation at this time,” the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration said in a press release. “NHTSA…collects information from the manufacturer and law enforcement.”

The single-vehicle accident occurred at 3:08 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, on Hampton Road when the Cybertruck left the road, struck a retaining wall and hit a tree before bursting into flames, in response to Jeremy Bowers , Piedmont Police Chief .

The vehicle's occupants included 4 Piedmont High School graduates, three of whom – Soren Dixon, Jack Nelson and Krysta Tsukahara – died within the rubble. A fourth, unidentified occupant of the vehicle was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, in response to a press release from town of Piedmont.

On Thursday the community mourned the loss of its young residents with flowers placed on the foot of the tree where the victims died.

Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said the incident was “unprecedented” and “devastating” for the Piedmont community. Although the causes are unclear, Bowers said the vehicle could have been speeding on the time of the accident, adding there was no indication that a mechanical failure caused the accident and subsequent fire.

The NHTSA, which is tasked with investigating motorcar safety defects and enforcing safety standards for automakers, and the California Highway Patrol are leading the investigation into how three Piedmont teenagers died within the Cybertruck. The results of the investigation might be provided to PPD, which is chargeable for disseminating the data to the general public.

An initial investigation by Piedmont authorities found no indication that the battery was the source of the hearth or caused an explosion related to the crash, in response to Piedmont Fire Department Chief Brannigan.

The fatal Piedmont accident adds to the growing list of incidents related to the Tesla Cybertruck, which has received widespread attention since its release on November 30, 2023. The automaker has issued six recalls in 2024 and is the topic of diverse NHTSA investigations. The first recall affected 2.2 million Cybertrucks due to small font on warning signs, and more serious recalls have since followed.

In April, Tesla recalled nearly 4,000 vehicles due to a defective accelerator pedal that would cause them to get stuck. On November 13, the electrical vehicle maker released its latest recall for greater than 2,400 Cybertrucks as a consequence of a defect that would cause the vehicles to interrupt down Loss of driver performancein response to NHTSA.

The accident in Piedmont is probably the most serious incident up to now involving the futuristic, metal-clad pickup. The Nov. 27 incident is the second fatal accident involving a Tesla Cybertruck, following an incident in Chambers County, Texas in August wherein a Cybertruck left a road. burst into flames and the driving force was killedsaid Texas media outlet KHOU 11.

According to CHP Golden Gate Division Sergeant Andrew Barclay, the investigation into the Piedmont incident will likely take “at least a few months” as authorities will examine quite a few aspects related to the crash.

Originally published: December 3, 2024 at 3:54 pm PST

National News

GLENDALE, Arizona — At his first major campaign rally for former President Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a crowd Saturday night that he was under investigation for his handling of a whale carcass many years ago.

Kennedy, who endorsed Trump last month after ending his independent bid for president, said on the event in Glendale, Arizona, that he had received a letter from a national fisheries institute “saying they were investigating me because I collected a whale specimen 20 years ago.” He suggested the investigation was politically motivated and said he believed he was protected by the statute of limitations.

The whale incident got here to light this summer after Kennedy admitted that he had left a dead bear cub in New York City's Central Park as a joke in 2014. This drew attention to an article from Town & Country from 2012 In it, his daughter Kick Kennedy said Kennedy once used a chainsaw to saw off the top of a dead whale off the shore of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and made the five-hour drive to her home in Mount Kisco, New York, with the top strapped to the roof of a minivan.

The mention of the investigation was an odd moment in a campaign rally through which Kennedy was each urging his supporters to support Trump and continuing to attempt to sell his own policies on health and environmental issues – now with a fresh MAGA coat of paint.

“Make America healthy again!” shouted Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic who promotes a disproven link between vaccines and autism, to the applause of a whole bunch within the Arizona Christian University gymnasium. “He's going to end the chronic disease epidemic and he wanted my help to do it.”

As Kennedy considered whether to finish his candidacy, he approached Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump to see in the event that they would offer him a Cabinet post. The Harris team declined to fulfill with him, but he found a sympathetic ear in Trump, despite the proven fact that that they had exchanged insults as rivals. While the previous president has not promised Kennedy a Cabinet post, he has hinted that he would work with Kennedy on a task force on chronic health issues.

At the event, where he appeared alongside former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, one other former Democrat, Kennedy attributed the country's political polarization to “hypnosis and a psychological operation” orchestrated by those in power.

Last month, the political arm of the Center for Biological Diversity, a progressive environmental group, sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calling for an investigation into the whale incident, arguing that Kennedy can have broken conservation laws.

Removing body parts from a protected marine animal is against federal law so long as there remains to be “soft tissue” on the carcass.

On stage on the rally, Kennedy said he received a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Institute shortly after endorsing Trump. Kennedy could also be referring to the National Marine Fisheries Service, commonly referred to as NOAA Fisheries, which oversees marine conservation. Representatives from NOAA Fisheries didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

Kennedy said on the rally that he had responded to his potential whale researchers, accusing the federal government of allowing offshore wind farms that will kill whales on a large scale. Trump has also provided no evidence to support this claim.

When asked in regards to the investigation after the rally, Kennedy declined to supply further details, calling the subject “gossipy nonsense.”

RENO, Nevada – Authorities said Monday they’re investigating the death of a girl on the Burning Man counterculture festival, held annually within the northern Nevada desert.

The Pershing County Sheriff's Office said emergency crews responded to a 911 call a couple of woman found unconscious around noon Sunday in Black Rock City, a makeshift town built for the festival about 100 miles north of Reno.

Attempts by the Burning Man Project rescue team to avoid wasting the girl’s life were unsuccessful.

“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends who have suffered this loss,” festival organizers said in an announcement. “We are cooperating fully with local authorities in their investigation of this incident.”

Since the festival moved from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock Desert in 1990, about half a dozen other deaths have been reported. Last yr, a 32-year-old California man died of suspected drug poisoning after being found unconscious on the festival grounds.

Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in an announcement that Sunday's death stays under investigation pending the cause and circumstances of the death. An update can be provided once the autopsy is accomplished.

A call to the Washoe County Coroner's Office was not immediately returned Monday.

Allen said the girl's name and age wouldn’t be released until her relatives were notified.

The festival, which mixes wilderness camping with a week-long celebration of art for art's sake, began early Sunday after the gates were closed for 12 hours attributable to rain and dust.

An estimated 20,000 people were already on the beach before the gates were officially opened to all ticket holders.

Burning Man runs until September 2nd. The organizers expect greater than 70,000 visitors this yr.

Known for its colourful theme camps, giant sculptures, drum circles, art cars and avant-garde theater performances, town's visitor numbers grew from about 4,000 in 1995 to 50,000 in 2010, temporarily making it the third-largest city in Nevada after the metropolises of Las Vegas and Reno.

In 2023, an estimated 73,000 people attended the thirty fifth annual Burning Man festival, with one other 95,000 participating in regional events around the globe.

The event was interrupted by a protest blockade that was lifted by local authorities. About an inch and a half of rain turned the playa into mud, making driving and cycling almost unattainable.

Authorities installed cellular phone towers and asked visitors to remain home until the rain stopped.

Other deaths recorded at Burning Man through the years include a girl who was hit by a bus in 2014 and a visitor who fell under a trailer in 2007. In 1996, a friend of Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey was killed in a collision with a delivery truck while riding his motorcycle at night.

Originally published: August 27, 2024 at 6:52 am

Local news

BOSTON (AP) — Two more Massachusetts state law enforcement officials who testified within the murder trial of Karen Read within the death of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, at the moment are under internal investigation, the Massachusetts State Police said Wednesday.

Detective Lt. Brian Tully and Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik are being investigated together with the lead investigator within the case, State Trooper Michael Proctor. It was also determined that there was insufficient evidence against a fourth state trooper, Lt. John Fanning, to prove allegations that he violated state police regulations by failing to perform his duties as a supervisor.

A Massachusetts State Police spokesman declined to comment further “out of fairness to the integrity of the pending investigation results.”

Most of the main target has been on Proctor, who was relieved of his duties after the trial revealed he had sent vulgar text messages to colleagues and family, calling Read a “nutcase” and telling his sister he wished Read would “kill himself.” He said it was a figure of speech and his emotions got the higher of him.

The defense also said he must have recused himself from the investigation because he had personal relationships with several of the people involved within the case. Read's lawyers also questioned the sloppiness of the police work: the crime scene was left unsecured for hours; the house of Boston police Detective Brian Albert was not searched; blood-stained snow was picked up with red plastic cups; and a leaf blower was used to clear snow.

Proctor was paid until earlier this month, when a state police hearing board modified the suspension to an unpaid suspension, effective immediately. Meanwhile, an internal investigation could lead on to charges against him, and there’s a federal investigation into the state police's handling of the case. The U.S. Attorney's Office said it neither confirmed nor denied an investigation.

Read is accused of driving her SUV right into a snowstorm in January 2022, leaving John O'Keefe to die. Her two-month trial ended when jurors declared they were hopelessly deadlocked and a judge declared a mistrial on the fifth day of deliberations.

The judge announced on Monday that she would hold a hearing on August 9 on the defense's motion to dismiss two of the three charges against her, with a retrial scheduled for January 27.

LONDON (AP) — The chief data officer of Britain's Conservative Party has taken a leave of absence, British media reported Sunday, amid mounting allegations that members of the ruling party used inside information to bluntly predict the date of the British general election on 4 July before it was announced.

The Sunday Times and other media reported that Nick Mason was the fourth Conservative official to be investigated by the UK Gambling Commission on suspicion of betting on the timing of the election.

The Times claimed that dozens of bets had been placed with potential winnings price 1000’s of kilos.

The reports got here after it emerged in recent days that two Conservative election candidates, Laura Saunders and Craig Williams, are being investigated by the Gambling Commission. Saunders' husband Tony Lee, the Conservative campaign manager, has also taken leave following allegations that he too was being investigated over alleged betting.

Police said one in all the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak The police bodyguard of was arrested on Monday on suspicion of abuse of office. The arrest got here after the gambling regulator confirmed that it was investigating “the possibility of violations related to the election date”.

The scandal, which comes just two weeks before the national election, has dealt a fresh blow to Sunak's Conservative Party, which after 14 years in power is widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party.

Sunak said this week that he was “incredibly offended” learned of the allegations and said that anyone who violated the law needs to be expelled from his party.

Sunak announced on 22 May that parliamentary elections The vote was scheduled to happen on July 4. The date was top secret and a surprise to many, as a vote in the autumn had been expected.

Saunders, a candidate from Bristol in southwest England, has said she’s going to fully cooperate with the investigation.

Williams was Sunak's parliamentary private secretary and an MP who stood for re-election on July 4. He has acknowledged that the Gambling Commission was investigating him for betting £100 ($128) on July elections before the poll date was announced.

Senior Conservative minister Michael Gove condemned the alleged bets and compared them to “ Partygate”, the ethics scandal that contributed to the downfall of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022.

This controversy led to a drastic lack of public confidence within the Conservatives after it was revealed that politicians and officials had held parties and meetings in government buildings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, despite lockdown rules.

Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said “people are fed up with these bribes” and Sunak must step in and order an official investigation.

The Conservative Party said it couldn’t comment attributable to ongoing investigations.

Bay Area air quality officials have launched an investigation into Tesla, accusing the electrical automobile manufacturer of releasing large amounts of harmful toxins into the air from its Fremont automobile factory. In a double blow, an environmental group has filed a brand new lawsuit against the corporate over such pollutant emissions.

Since 2019, Tesla, the made a profit of $17.7 billion last yr According to regulatory filings, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has authorized 112 illegal releases of toxic substances, each containing as much as 750 kilos (340 kilograms) of harmful pollutants, it said in a press release earlier this month.

Even small amounts of ozone, created when the released chemicals meet sunlight, can harm health, especially in children, the elderly and folks with asthma, the district said. Other pollutants released could cause cancer and, even in small amounts, neurological, reproductive and developmental harm, in line with the regulator, which cited Tesla's paint booths and paint curing ovens as sources of the pollution.

Tesla didn’t reply to requests for comment on the district's investigation or the allegations or claims within the lawsuit.

On May 2, county officials announced they’d seek an order to shut the 2 auto paint shops on the Fremont plant if Tesla doesn’t conform to hire outside experts to assist reduce emissions.

The district said this week that it had previously investigated pollution from Tesla's factory and located it was brought on by repeated problems within the paint departments' containment systems and production lines.

“Tesla has made operational changes, but ultimately they were not sufficient,” said district spokeswoman Kristina Chu, adding that the agency may sue Tesla over emissions.

Despite “extensive discussions” between county officials and the corporate, Tesla has didn’t curb emissions, said the county's request for an order from its hearing committee, which rules on regulatory compliance issues.

Meanwhile, the automaker, led by notoriously anti-regulation CEO Elon Musk, is facing a brand new lawsuit from a neighborhood environmental group that claims Tesla's “extensive and persistent” emissions are exposing area residents and staff to health-threatening chemicals, including arsenic.

“We feel like profit is more important than being a good neighbor and supporting human health,” said Tanya Boyce, executive director of the Environmental Democracy Project, a nonprofit that filed the lawsuit last week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Boyce identified that the kids attend Bringhurst Elementary School, which is only a mile from the Tesla plant.

Her group's lawsuit points to a “long history of noncompliance with environmental laws” on the factory, alleging that Tesla violated federal air quality regulations greater than 160 times between January 2021 and January 2024.

Tesla's documents filed with the lawsuit list greater than 90 violations of the corporate's permit from the Air Quality Authority between January 2022 and June 2023. Tesla almost at all times attributed the causes to “unforeseen” breakdowns and malfunctions, the documents say.

The air quality agency described Tesla’s emissions as “predictable” in its press release.

The Environmental Democracy Project addresses pollution in communities of color. The city of Fremont describes itself as “one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the Bay Area,” with 63% of residents speak a language apart from English at home. According to the U.S. Census, the town's population is 62% Asian, 21% white, 12% Latino, and three% black.

In a March letter to Musk, the Environmental Democracy Project said it plans to sue Tesla in federal court for alleged Clean Air Act violations since the air quality agency has not already done so. “This leaves citizens like the EDP to challenge the law on their own.”

The Fremont plant where Tesla manufactures its Models 3, X, Y and S has long been the goal of regulatory and legal motion.

In February, eight Bay Area counties sued Tesla, claiming the corporate illegally dumped hazardous waste produced at its Fremont plant and its auto repair shops within the region. District attorneys in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties, in addition to 17 other California prosecutors, allege in San Joaquin County Superior Court that the corporate violated a lot of laws governing the labeling, transportation and disposal of toxic materials.

In a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached in February 2022, Tesla agreed to pay a high-quality of $275,000 over three years for violating the Clean Air Act at its Fremont plant.

Tesla was fined $750,000 in 2021 as a part of a settlement with the Federal Aviation Administration for 33 air quality violations since 2015. In 2019, the corporate agreed to pay a $31,000 high-quality for violating hazardous waste disposal regulations at its Fremont factory as a part of one other settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Boyce believes that the “very small” penalties for Tesla are simply “the cost of doing business.”

Musk has regularly flouted and disparaged rules and regulators. tweeted last yr“Like Gulliver, bound by thousands of tiny threads, we lose our freedom through one regulation after another.”

In 2018, Musk agreed to pay a $20 million high-quality to settle a SEC charge that he misled investors with a tweet about Tesla going private — then he mocked the SEC on Twitter. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Tesla kept its Fremont factory running for nearly per week in violation of a health order, prompting Musk to tweet that an “ignorant” Alameda County health official was “violating our constitutional freedoms.”

SAN JOSE – As a weekend of largely peaceful and joyous Cinco de Mayo celebrations got here to an in depth, police were called to analyze a double knife attack near a venue and implemented road closures to dam access to areas where Loud crowds grew, authorities said.

San Jose police announced Sunday evening that they were redirecting traffic from East Santa Clara Street in downtown and the realm of ​​King and Story roads in East San Jose “due to illegal activity and safety concerns.”

On a related note, the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority also announced Sunday that bus riders in parts of downtown and east San Jose affected by the detours and associated road closures will experience delays of 40 minutes throughout the evening Expect as much as an hour.

When asked to supply further details, police told these news organizations that the activities included people fighting, automobile displays and other people walking on streets. Police didn’t provide any further details.

The most serious incident involved a report of a double knife attack on South King Road near Lido Way in front of Emma Prusch Farm Park at 5:27 p.m. Two people were taken to hospitals with life-threatening injuries, police said.

This location was on a piece of South King Road that was closed to traffic for a lot of the day in deference to the East San Jose Cinco de Mayo Parade, which included a highly anticipated lowrider parade. But those celebrations officially ended at 5 p.m., about half an hour before the stabbing was reported.

Police emphasized, as they did the month before the Cinco de Mayo weekend, that “traffic diversions are temporary in nature and will be lifted as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.” This was repeated to reassure residents and residents that the closure of highway exits downtown during last 12 months's Cinco de Mayo celebrations was discriminatory and unjustified.

This 12 months, city leaders and community organizations joined together to present a more collaborative approach to making sure public safety through the weekend's celebration.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.