Pleasanton EV crash that killed family of 4 triggers federal probe
PLEASANTON, Calif. - A federal traffic safety agency has opened a formal investigation into a fiery electric vehicle crash in Pleasanton that killed a family of four.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed that it is probing an April 24 crash involving a VinFast VF8 vehicle that burst into flames after slamming into a tree. Reuters first reported the development.
"Specifically, SCI (Special Crash Investigations) will document the crash circumstances and the ensuing fire," the NHTSA said in a statement to KTVU.
Questions raised over EV maker in Pleasanton crash that killed family
As officials investigate a fiery crash that killed a family of four in Pleasanton, there are more questions than answers two weeks later after a complaint with a federal safety agency was filed.
The single-vehicle crash claimed the lives of Tarun and Rincy George and their two sons, who were returning home from a birthday party. Tarun George was behind the wheel, and Pleasanton police said speed might have been a factor in the crash.
The George family did not own the Vietnamese electric car but were borrowing it from a coworker.
After the crash, the owner of the vehicle filed a complaint with the NHTSA to report steering issues with the electric vehicle. The owner said that on multiple occasions before the crash, the steering wheel would automatically veer to the right, even when lane assist was turned on.
In the complaint, the owner also reported being "concerned that the failure recurred," while the George family was driving.
The NHTSA has received several other complaints about the VinFast model dating back to last summer, and at least three of them mentioned steering and lane assist issues.
KTVU's Crystal Bailey contributed to this report.