Four members of an Indian American family tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Pleasanton, California, on Wednesday night.
The crash, involving a single vehicle, occurred around 9 p.m. on Foothill Road near Stoneridge Drive, according to Pleasanton Police Department reports covered by local ABC7 News.
The vehicle was reportedly an electric car that caught fire following the crash, with the blaze reigniting several times as investigators cleared the scene.
The victims were identified by emalayalee.com, a Malayalam language publication, as Tharun George, his wife, and their two children. George, originally from Thiruvalla in Kerala, India, was employed at a tech company.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, looking into whether factors like speed or alcohol were involved, though they have excluded foul play.
The Pleasanton Police Department released a statement saying, "We are conducting a thorough investigation and do not have additional information at this point. We will release further details as they become available. For now, our priority is protecting the victims’ identities as we notify family and complete our investigation."
Pleasanton is located approximately 40 miles east of San Francisco.
The Pleasanton Unified School District, where the children were students, confirmed their enrollment. Patrick Gannon, the district’s Director of Communication, referred to the incident as tragic and somber, announcing that additional counseling and support resources would be provided to students through at least Friday.
Throughout Thursday, individuals, including loved ones, friends, and strangers, visited the crash site to pay their respects.
