Three killed in single-car crash in Pasadena that knocked out power to hundreds

Three people were killed and three others seriously injured in a single-car crash that temporarily knocked out power for hundreds of Pasadena residents early Saturday, authorities said.

A Tesla Model 3 sedan was traveling westbound on Foothill Boulevard at more than twice the 35 mph speed limit when it barreled through a red light about 2:30 a.m. at Sierra Madre Boulevard, hit a curb and struck a power pole, according to the Pasadena Police Department. There were six people in the car.

When officers arrived, they discovered three passengers had been ejected from the back of the vehicle, police said. The driver and two of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene; the other three passengers were taken to the hospital in serious condition.

All six people involved in the crash were between 17 and 22 years old, authorities said.

An early investigation suggests that the driver “failed to negotiate a slight curve” just east of Vista Avenue, causing the vehicle to strike the curb and crash into a light pole, said Lt. Anthony Russo. The car catapulted into the air and collided with a power pole and an abandoned building, taking out the entire east wall of the structure, he said. The car came to rest a few hundred feet west of the building.

“It was a very significant crash,” said Russo. “There is an indication that alcohol may have been involved but we have not confirmed if the driver was under the influence or impaired at the time of the crash.”

More than 500 homes and businesses lost power in the region due to the collision, which disconnected the power lines, authorities said.

All power has since been restored to the area, said Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.