Tesla speeds down Pacific Beach boardwalk wiping out woman — before Meta glasses-wearing hero springs into action

1 hour ago 2

Terrifying footage captured the moment a speeding Tesla mounted a California boardwalk, struck a woman and flew past stunned pedestrians.

Juan Antonio Gonzaba, 39, allegedly stole the blue Model X after noon Monday before taking off towards San Diego’s Pacific Beach.

Cops tore after the vehicle after spotting it driving down Mission Boulevard around 12.30pm and tried to pull him over.

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Police located the car driving south on Mission Boulevard around 12:30 p.m. and attempted to stop the vehicle. But the stolen electric vehicle took off, driving westbound into the eastbound lanes on Pacific Beach Drive.
After the vehicle struck a SDG&E transformer, it continued onto the Pacific Beach boardwalk.

But he took off, striking an SDG&E transformer before mounting the boardwalk at Pacific Beach and flying at speed past stunned pedestrians.

A man wearing Meta glasses captured the astonishing scenes on his camera as a woman near him dived out the way of the car.

At 12:40 p.m., the Tesla plowed into a 25-year-old woman walking along the boardwalk, leaving her with major injuries.

She suffered two fractured right ribs, two fractured vertebrae, and a laceration to her abdomen, police said.

“A lot of people dove out of the way very quickly and it really could have been so much worse,” Candace Hadley, San Diego Fire Department Public Information Officer, told NBC San Diego.

“This is a very busy boardwalk, having someone drive through this area is incredibly frightening,” Hadley added.

“This is a very busy boardwalk, having someone drive through this area is incredibly frightening,” Hadley added.

Stunned witnesses described the man’s brazen act.

Witness Miguel Valle said: “I just heard some sounds down there, commotion like something hit something and obviously he hit a gal over here, and so that was the sound that I heard.

“Then a moment later I see a navy blue Tesla flying by me at least 50 mph, trying to get away from the pursuit.”

Police halted the pursuit after that, citing public safety. The driver would stop his Tesla on the boardwalk near Baja Beach Cafe at Thomas Avenue, leading several bystanders on a foot chase. Srour is seen sprinting to the man and catching up to him, detaining him for police.
The man is seen apologizing as the Meta glasses-wearing good Samaritan berates him for nearly killing several people.

A man had to dive off his bike to avoid the speeding Tesla “I was in the middle of the path and I launched myself off my bike,” Alex Srour, who wore the Meta glasses, said.

Police halted the pursuit after that, citing public safety. The driver stopped his Tesla on the boardwalk near Baja Beach Cafe, leading several bystanders on a foot chase.

Srour is seen sprinting to the man and catching up to him, detaining him for police. The man is seen apologizing as the Good Samaritan berates him.

Police arrested Gonzaba and are conducting a felony hit-and-run investigation. He is suspected of being under the influence.

The boardwalk was closed for several hours until reopening around 4 p.m. Monday.


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