A man behind the wheel of a suspected stolen Tesla drove onto San Diego’s Pacific Beach boardwalk and hit a woman. He jumped off and was chased by bystanders. Monday afternoon.
A 25-year-old woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being struck by an electric vehicle at the intersection of Thomas and Reed streets around 12:40 p.m., according to the San Diego Fire Department.
At approximately 12:20 p.m., San Diego Police Department officers responded to a report of a stolen Tesla being pursued by its owner. About 10 minutes later, officers spotted the Tesla driving southbound on Mission Boulevard. Police said officers attempted to stop the driver, but he did not stop and a pursuit began.
During the pursuit, the driver struck a gas and electric transformer in San Diego and continued toward the Pacific Beach boardwalk, SDPD said.
“Due to the increased risk to public safety, field supervisors have discontinued the pursuit,” the statement said.
The stolen Tesla then drove north on the boardwalk from Pacific Beach Drive, driving at high speeds near pedestrians.
“I just heard a noise over there, a commotion, like something hit something, and obviously he hit this girl here, and that’s what I heard,” said witness Miguel Valle. “The next moment I saw a dark blue Tesla fly by me at at least 80 mph trying to escape pursuit.”
Another woman was walking on the boardwalk and jumped as the driver sped past, according to surveillance video. She was evaluated by paramedics, SDFD said.
“Many people rushed out of the way. The situation could have been much worse,” SDFD spokeswoman Candace Hadley said.
“This is a very busy promenade. It’s incredibly scary for someone to drive through this area,” Hadley added.
Several people saw the car leave the boardwalk. One Santee beachgoer said he was walking on the boardwalk when a car hit him.
“I was in the middle of the road and jumped off my bike,” Alex Thrall said.
The man driving the Tesla stopped in front of the Baja Beach Cafe, and Thrall chased after him, recording the chase on Meta sunglasses with a built-in camera.
His video showed the man running into a nearby parking lot and several others chasing him as he fell to the ground. Slow appears to pin him to the ground and a verbal exchange ensues.
In the video, Thrall appears to yell at the man to get on the ground, and the man appears to plead with Thrall.
According to SDPD, Thrall, along with another pedestrian, restrained the man until officers arrived and took him into custody.
SDPD is conducting a felony hit-and-run investigation into the incident. Police say the driver is suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol.
Lifeguards initially responded to the incident, followed shortly by SDFD and SDPD. According to the fire department, the woman who jumped is safe.
Police shut down the area of Thomas Avenue and Mission Boulevard near the open bar for several hours after the incident. The boardwalk was reopened by 4 p.m.