Off-duty deputy killed in crash involving bus carrying Tesla employees on East Bay Freeway, CHP says
An off-duty Alameda County sheriff’s deputy was killed Friday morning in a crash involving a Tesla employee bus on an East Bay freeway, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Office confirmed the crash “took the life of our deputy.” He was identified as Sroeuy Khin.
Khin had just gotten off work and was headed home on the eastbound Interstate 580 near Tracy in Alameda County, said Officer Derek Reed, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.
Khin, who was driving a Volkswagen Beetle, was stopped for an unknown reason in a freeway lane near Grant Line Road when the employee tour bus rear-ended the vehicle, he said.
The driver of the tour bus told officers that the sun glare was blinding and he did not see the Volkswagen, Reed said. The officer died at the scene.
Authorities investigating the crash draped an American flag over the officer’s body.
Reed said that of the 55 Tesla employees aboard the bus, only one was hurt as a result of the crash, but was not hospitalized.
On Friday afternoon, Tesla released a statement, saying the tour bus was an independently operated shuttle carrying Tesla employees.
“All Tesla employees on the bus are safe and accounted for, however we are deeply saddened by reports that there was a fatality as a result of the accident,” a Tesla spokesman said. “We will lend any support that we can to the authorities who are investigating the incident.”
Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA
UPDATES:
1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Tesla.
1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with the deputy’s identity.
10:20 a.m.: This article was updated with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office confirming a deputy was killed.
This article was originally published at 10:15 a.m.
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