Man dies in fiery crash in South Hill area after Tesla reaches speeds of 100-plus mph
A 45-year-old man was killed in a fiery, high-speed crash into trees and a fence in the South Hill area Monday, authorities said.
The man was driving alone in a Tesla eastbound on 128th Street East in excess of 100 mph shortly before 11 p.m. when he passed a deputy traveling the other direction, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Carly Cappetto told The News Tribune.
The deputy pulled a U-turn and activated their emergency lights in the area of the street’s intersection with Woodland Avenue East but terminated the pursuit as the Tesla sped out of sight.
“It was too high speeds,” Cappetto said.
The Tesla crashed off the road within a half-mile away from where the deputy spotted it. The vehicle hit a fence and struck three large trees and was on fire, according to Cappetto. The deputy broke the driver-side window in an effort to rescue the victim, who was described as “very large,” but could not pull him out before flames engulfed the vehicle, Cappetto said.
No one else was injured in the crash, which occurred at around 10:48 p.m., and the fire was contained to the vehicle. The victim’s next of kin were notified. His identity had not been released by the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office as of late Tuesday afternoon. Cappetto said he was from the South Hill area.
Central Pierce Fire & Rescue wrote on X that crews were dispatched to the scene Monday night, and the department warned about the dangers of fire reigniting in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.
A fire engine stood by while the crashed vehicle was placed on a tow truck and followed it to a wrecking yard where the vehicle would be kept away from others for several weeks to ensure it doesn’t ignite, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue said.
The department urged people to remember to place all lithium-battery toys, vapes, scooters and other items outside and away from combustibles.
