Two dead after Tesla overturns on Copper Avenue in Fresno. DUI suspected, CHP says

The California Highway Patrol is investigating a crash early Monday that killed two people on Copper Avenue near Clovis North High School.

A third person was hospitalized.

The driver was believed to have have been under the influence of alcohol following St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

According to an initial CHP investigation, the driver and two passengers were heading west on Copper Avenue around 1:45 a.m. The car, a Tesla Model 3, was traveling at a “high rate of speed” as it approached Willow Avenue where the street shifts slightly to that right.

The driver “failed to negotiate the roadway” and the car hit a curb, guardrail and street sign before flipping. It eventually struck a second curb and guardrail.

The driver and front passenger were both thrown from the car and died at the scene. A passenger in the backseat was taken to Community Regional Medical Center with moderate injuries, the CHP said.

The identities of the deceased are not yet known.

This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 10:02 AM.