A suspected stolen Tesla careened onto the Pacific Beach boardwalk Monday afternoon, critically injuring a 25-year-old woman before its driver abandoned the car and tried to escape on foot.
The episode began about 20 minutes earlier when the Tesla’s owner reported it stolen and told police the vehicle could be tracked through its app, ABC 10News reported, citing the San Diego Police Department. Officers located the car traveling south on Mission Boulevard and attempted to stop it.
The driver did not pull over. Police pursued the Tesla until a supervisor terminated the chase because of the growing danger to the public, according to NBC 7 San Diego. The Tesla kept going, striking an SDG&E transformer before heading toward the waterfront.
It then entered the boardwalk from Pacific Beach Drive and sped north through an area crowded with pedestrians and cyclists. The 25-year-old woman was struck near Thomas and Reed avenues around 12:40 p.m. and taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The Chase Changes Hands
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One of the people suddenly in the Tesla’s path was a bicyclist whom NBC identified as Alex Srour.
In his own Instagram post, Srour said he had been on his normal after-work bike ride when the car came through. He estimated it was traveling more than 70 mph and said the Tesla struck him. That speed is Srour’s estimate, not a police measurement.
Someone yelled a warning as the car approached, Srour wrote, and he credited that unidentified person with saving his life.
The critically injured woman identified by emergency responders is a separate part of the reporting. Srour’s account says he also was struck, but neither NBC nor ABC identifies him as the 25-year-old patient transported in critical condition.
Out Of The Car
The Tesla eventually stopped in front of Baja Beach Cafe. Its driver got out and ran.
Srour went after him.
His footage shows the pursuit continuing on foot with several other people joining in. The group catches up with the fleeing man in a nearby parking area, where Srour can be heard ordering him onto the ground.
Srour wrote that three other people joined the chase, though he remembered the name of only one of them: Cameron.
NBC reported that Srour and other pedestrians held the man until San Diego police arrived and took him into custody.
The unusual handoff came only after police had already ended their vehicle pursuit. The department’s account, as carried by both local outlets, places the decision to terminate the police chase before the Tesla drove onto the boardwalk.
Still Under Review
Police were conducting a felony hit-and-run investigation Monday, NBC reported. The outlet also reported that police suspected the driver was under the influence.
Those are investigative descriptions, not filed charges. Public reporting available Monday evening did not identify the driver or establish a booking charge, bail amount, or other court disposition.
San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley told NBC that numerous people managed to dive out of the Tesla’s path. Another woman who jumped out of the way was evaluated by emergency responders.
Police kept part of the area around Thomas Avenue and Mission Boulevard closed for several hours after the incident. NBC reported that the boardwalk had reopened by 4 p.m.