Driver of Tesla that went airborne in deadly Southern California crash identified
Driver of Tesla that went airborne in deadly Southern California crash identified
The 37-year-old man who was driving a speeding Tesla Model 3 that caused a deadly multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach was identified by authorities on Wednesday.
The Tesla driver, who was the lone fatality in Tuesday’s crash, was identified as Huntington Beach resident Ryan Mark Larson by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
A dashcam video captured the Tesla going airborne as Larson lost control and sideswiped a car driving in the opposite direction on Heil Avenue at Goldenwest Street around 2:45 p.m.
Officers arrived to find seven vehicles involved in the incident, including the Tesla, which had rolled over several times before coming to a rest just east of the intersection, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.
Larson was pronounced dead at the scene.
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (KTLA)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (KTLA)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (KTLA)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (KTLA)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (KTLA)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (Citizen App)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (Citizen App)
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One person was killed after a multi-vehicle crash in Huntington Beach on Dec. 2, 2025. (KTLA)
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Dash cam footage captured the moment the suspect’s Tesla went airborne after hitting a dip in the road and crashing into an oncoming car at a Huntington Beach intersection on Dec. 2, 2025. (George Spaulding)
A driver who was with his young son inside a minivan that was also badly damaged in the crash can be heard in a separate video checking on his son.
“Malcom, are you OK?” the father asks. The boy responds, “Yes,” before the driver describes what happened: “A car just slammed headfirst into the corner of our car,” he says, choking up.
Police said the Tesla had been traveling at a “high rate of speed,” but did not estimate how fast it was going. A witness at the scene believed it was traveling around 100 mph.
George Spaulding, who was waiting at a red light, said he saw the car speeding toward him.
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“We saw a car flying up the road and our light had just turned green and we were ready to take off,” Spaulding recalled. “The car cut over in between the lanes, went on our side of the lane and just flew and hit this dip right over here. It caught air, lost control and flipped over.”
Three people were transported to the hospital. Authorities confirmed that two Orange County probation officers were hurt after their vehicle was struck.
On Wednesday morning, the Orange County Probation Department said both officers were recovering. “One officer was medically cleared at the scene, while the second officer was treated and released from the hospital,” officials said.
Police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation, and it was unclear if drugs or alcohol were a factor. It was also unclear whether Tesla’s Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was engaged.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or the events leading up to it was encouraged to contact the Police Department at 714-536-5666.
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