Driver killed in high-speed Tesla crash outside Palos Verdes Peninsula home
A driver was killed Tuesday when her Tesla crashed into a utility pole and through a home’s front yard after speeding down a residential street on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The crash occurred shortly before noon at 27060 Sunnyridge Road in Rolling Hills, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A CHP spokesperson could not be reached Tuesday for additional information.
According to KNBC-TV Channel 4, the driver, identified as a woman in her 70s, was heading north when her Tesla veered to the right, crashed into the utility pole, hit the back of an SUV and came to rest in the front yard of a house.
CHP Officer Luis Murillo told KTLA-TV Channel 5 that investigators did not know whether the Tesla Model 3 had its Autopilot function activated at the time of the crash.
A new filing obtained by The Times details Nicole Linton’s history of bipolar disorder before the deadly crash and a doctor’s reactions to her mental state at the time of the collision.
According to KTLA, witnesses said the driver was traveling downhill at a high rate of speed before crashing into the power pole.
One witness told the news station they believed the Tesla was traveling 80 to 100 mph.
KTLA video from the scene showed a white Tesla crashed in the front yard of a home. A nearby power pole was sheared off at its base, and another vehicle could be seen near the pole with significant front-end damage.
A trail of dirt and debris could be seen in the home’s driveway.
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