A stolen Tesla fleeing San Diego police at speed came off the street and onto the Pacific Beach boardwalk on Monday afternoon, striking a 25-year-old woman and critically injuring her before the driver bailed out of the car and was held down by bystanders until officers arrived.
In an incredible moment of dystopian irony, the driver of the Tesla was filmed fleeing on foot by a bystander wearing Meta glasses and revealed to be wearing a shirt that read, “F*** Around and Find Out”. Not to make light of the situation, but it won’t be long until he finds out just how much trouble he is in after his reckless stunt.
The chase began around 12:30 PM. The Tesla’s owner had called police after tracking their vehicle in the app, and officers located the car on Mission Boulevard and attempted a stop. The driver did not yield. What followed was a wild high-speed pursuit that ended with the Tesla clipping an electrical transformer, then turning off Pacific Beach Drive and rolling straight onto the boardwalk itself, one of the busiest pedestrian zones in all of San Diego County.
Witness Miguel Valle told NBC 7 San Diego the navy-blue Tesla was moving at “at least 50 mph” as it fled. It struck the woman at the intersection of Thomas and Reed Avenues.
The vehicle came to a stop in front of Baja Beach Cafe. The driver climbed out and tried to run. Bystanders chased him down and held him on the pavement until San Diego Police arrived to take him into custody. He is now being investigated on suspicion of DUI in addition to the vehicle theft and pursuit-related charges.
The woman was transported for critical care. Her condition as of Monday evening had not been publicly updated.
The Pacific Beach boardwalk on a warm day in September is a chaotic environment even at its safest, with cyclists, skaters, tourists, families, surfers walking to the water, kids on scooters. The fact that more people were not injured is nothing short of a miracle.
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