A man’s body was found inside a Tesla after a fiery crash early Friday, July 17 that took Newport Beach firefighters more than an hour to extinguish, authorities said.
The crash was reported at around 12:30 a.m. on Back Bay Road about a mile north of San Joaquin Hills Road, according to the Newport Beach Police Department.
Officers found a 2021 Tesla Model Y overturned and fully engulfed in flames. The Newport Beach Fire Department spent more than an hour extinguishing the fire before firefighters discovered a male body inside, police said.
The man was identified Monday, July 20 by the coroner as Joseph Santos Requejo Jr., 33, of Santa Ana.
Investigators believe the Tesla was traveling eastbound on Back Bay Road at a high rate of speed when it left the roadway, overturned onto its roof and caught fire. It is not yet known whether impairment was a factor, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Sgt. Sabrina Fabbri at sfabbri@nbpd.org.
