Memorial marks where Piedmont students killed
Thanksgiving Eve marks 1 year after a fiery cyber truck crash killed 3 college students in Piedmont
There is a memorial honoring the 3 young people who lost their lives in a horrific Cyber truck crash in Piedmont one year ago on Thanksgiving eve. People preparing for the 24th Annual Piedmont Turkey Trot, an event that brings the tight-knit community together, say the deceased college students and their families are in their thoughts.
PIEDMONT, Calif. - A year after three former Piedmont High School students were killed in an early morning crash on Thanksgiving Eve, a memorial still marks the site where friends and neighbors continue to gather in remembrance.
The tribute honors Soren Dixon, Krysta Tsukahara and Jack Nelson, all college students who died when Dixon lost control of a Tesla Cybertruck and struck a tree.
Investigators said toxicology results showed Dixon had been drinking and had taken drugs before the crash.
"It’s definitely on people’s minds," said Piedmont resident Audrey Edel. "It’s obviously very devastating."
Her mother, Anastasia Edel, said she thinks of the college students each time she passes the site.
"I always run by that tree. I think about those people, and I wish they are at peace—and their parents are," she said. "I pray a little bit by those trees."
New commemorative benches honoring the students now sit in local parks—Tsukahara’s in Piedmont Park near the Tea Garden, and Dixon’s and Nelson’s in Crocker Park.
Last year’s Piedmont Turkey Trot, which took place the day after the crash, offered runners the option of stopping at the memorial and leaving flowers donated by local florists. That tribute will not be part of this year’s race, organizers said.
"People have created a memorial out there," said race director Sydney Proctor. "It’s not anything the Turkey Trot is a part of this year. We’re letting those families dictate how they want to honor their loved ones."
Inside Veterans Hall on Thanksgiving Eve, the 2,400 registered Turkey Trot participants picked up race gear ahead of Thursday’s run.
The annual event raises money for Piedmont High School’s cross-country and track and field programs.
For the Edel family, running the race is a long-standing tradition.
"For me, it’s a reminder to appreciate and cherish what I have," Anastasia Edel said.
The families of two of the teens have filed separate lawsuits against Tesla.
Their attorneys say the design of the doors of the Cybertruck left the victims trapped inside the vehicle.
Tesla officials say they are looking to change the design in the case of an emergency.