Could electric vehicle issues have played a role in crash that killed family of four?

The Pleasanton Police Department has confirmed that the family of four who died in a single-vehicle car crash last month did not own the electric vehicle they were driving, and it now appears that same car might have previously had issues with losing control of the steering, according to a complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A spokesperson for VinFast — the vehicle’s manufacturing company that is based in Vietnam — told the Weekly that the company could “neither confirm the authenticity of the complaint nor the information contained therein.”

“VinFast is aware of this tragic accident in Pleasanton and our hearts go out to the family,” the VinFast spokesperson said. “The authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident and will share their findings when their work is completed.”

The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau has also confirmed that Pleasanton resident Rincy George, 41, was the fourth victim who died in the deadly April 24 crash that took place on Foothill Road near Stoneridge Drive around 9 p.m. 

The coroner’s bureau previously identified her husband Tarun Cherukara George, 41, and their two children Rowan George, 13, and Aaron George, 9, as the other victims. Rowan was a student at Hart Middle School while Aaron attended Donlon Elementary School, Hart principal Caroline Fields stated in an email to the community last month.

First responders attempted to render aid to one of the children but in the end, all four died at the scene.

In a follow-up interview, Pleasanton police Lt. Erik Silacci said the circumstances behind the crash are still under investigation but continued to say speed might have been a factor. He also said evidence from the scene indicated the vehicle hit a roadside pole, went airborne and struck a large oak tree that night.

“Speed was a factor just because of the level of damage to the vehicle,” Silacci said. “That vehicle … there’s not much left of it.”

The car caught fire, but investigators do not think the fire killed the family, according to Silacci. First responders had to put out the flames a second time after the car reignited, which Silacci said PPD has experienced with electric vehicle fires in the past.

He said investigators are still trying to figure out whether all of the occupants were wearing their seat belts. 

“It’s something that we’re gonna have to see if we can determine through some investigation,” he added.

Silacci said the father was behind the wheel during the crash but that the VinFast car was in fact registered to a friend, who was not involved in the incident.

And since the crash, a complaint was filed to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on April 29 which talks about a 2023 VinFast VF8 that was owned by a person who said their coworker died along with their family on the same day as the April 24 crash. The consumer complaint location was also listed as Pleasanton.

The details of the complaint, which matches the April 24 crash, states the complainant was concerned their coworker who was driving their car might have experienced similar steering failures that the complainant had in the past.

“The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the steering wheel automatically maneuvered to the right direction, however, the contact was able to regain control of the steering wheel and maneuvered into the correct lane,” according to the NHTSA complaint. “The contact stated that the failure recurred where the lane assist was turned on by default and it would automatically move the steering wheel.”

Due to privacy considerations, the NHTSA said it could not confirm whether the vehicle owner complaint is connected to a specific crash or incident.

“For guidance, due to the Privacy Act, personally identifiable information is removed from the questionnaires before they are posted to our website,” according to a NHTSA spokesperson. “NHTSA is not able to provide any additional information on individual vehicle owner questionnaires.”

According to the NHTSA, there have been nine complaints against the 2023 VinFast VF8 vehicle — seven of which were submitted between March and April. Some of those other complaints touched on similar issues where VinFast owners lost control of the steering wheel, had issues with the lane keeping sensor and the car speeding up too much.

Silacci said the department is still investigating the crash but said that he doesn’t have any update on any communication with VinFast at this time.

The April 29 complaint stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the crash, which matched the April 24 incident, and a case was opened. However, the VinFast spokesperson said the claim that “VinFast opened a case for this incident is not accurate.” 

“Regarding product quality, VinFast vehicles are designed and manufactured with safety as its top priority,” the spokesperson said.

Silacci also added that the roadway on Foothill Road merges from a two-lane to a one-lane roadway in that direction and creates a curve, which could have contributed to the incident. When asked about the possibility of merging traffic being another factor in the crash, Silacci said it was something PPD is still investigating.

Flowers and other roadside memorials were set up near the tree along Foothill Road in the hours and days afterward to honor and remember the family.

This marked the second time in April that a Tri-Valley community was rocked by losing four members of a local family to a deadly crash. The father, mother and two children from the Negrete Guerrero family in Livermore were killed in a solo wreck on a highway in Manteca on the night of April 13; the other three of the young siblings survived that crash with moderate to major injuries.

Editor’s note: Editorial director Jeremy Walsh contributed to this story.