El Dorado Hills, CA – Authorities have identified the three people who lost their lives in a Tesla crash, in which a fourth person was left hospitalized, according to KCRA.
The deceased have been identified as follows:
- Alejandra Mendoza, 28, of Sacramento
- Kailauna Viola Mills, 28, of Roseville
- Charles Cameron, 30, of Sacramento
The California Highway Patrol reports that the accident took place around 10:38 PM on westbound Serrano Parkway west of Terracina Drive, a residential area within the Serrano community of El Dorado Hills.
Authorities said Mendoza was driving the vehicle, a Tesla, when it drifted off the road and its right side struck a tree, coming to rest against it. The impact damaged the vehicle’s lithium-ion battery, causing it to catch fire while the occupants remained inside.
Mendoza and Mills, a passenger, were pronounced dead at the scene following the fire. Cameron, also a passenger, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
A fourth occupant, a 28-year-old Grass Valley woman, was pulled from the burning car by good Samaritans and transported to an area hospital with major injuries.
CHP Placerville stated that investigators are working to determine what the driver may have been doing before the crash to understand why the vehicle left the roadway, and confirmed that toxicology testing for alcohol and drugs is standard procedure in any crash involving a deceased driver, without indicating whether either was suspected in this case.
El Dorado County Environmental Health and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office responded to address a hazmat concern related to the damaged battery’s reignition risk. A tow was arranged to remove the vehicle once the hazard was addressed. The roadway was closed for several hours before reopening at approximately 4:30 AM.
El Dorado Hills Car Accidents and Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Claims
California law follows the principle of comparative negligence. This means that even if Mendoza is found partially at fault for the crash, her surviving family and the other victims’ families may still pursue compensation if the negligence of another party, such as a defect in the vehicle’s battery system that contributed to the fire, played a role in the deaths. Investigators with California law enforcement examine vehicle condition and roadway factors, including toxicology results, to determine what caused the crash.
Because the vehicle’s battery damage created an ongoing hazmat concern well after the initial collision, questions about the battery’s design and how it responded to the impact could become a focus of any resulting claims.
The families of Mendoza, Mills, and Cameron may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim, while the surviving passenger may have the right to pursue a personal injury claim, both of which can provide compensation for the losses specific to each type of claim.
El Dorado Hills Wrongful Death Lawyer
If you or someone you love was harmed in an accident like the one described here, on Serrano Parkway near Terracina Drive, contact a California wrongful death lawyer for any questions or to receive a no-cost, no-obligation case assessment.
