A 26-year-old Connecticut man faces manslaughter charges after allegedly driving a rented Tesla Cybertruck into oncoming traffic, causing a fatal Christmas Day collision that killed a 14-year-old boy and injured three others. The incident occurred in Hartford, leaving authorities to describe the scene as horrific. The driver fled but later surrendered to police.
On December 25, 2025, around 9:18 p.m., Tyron Davis, 26, was driving a Tesla Cybertruck northbound on Cornwall Street in Hartford when he veered into the southbound lane to pass another vehicle, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. The truck collided head-on with a Toyota Camry carrying 14-year-old Malachi James and his family, near the intersection of Cornwall and Hebron Streets.
Firefighters extricated the victims from the wrecked Camry and rushed them to a hospital, where James was pronounced dead on arrival. Three other family members suffered serious injuries. Police arrived to find a debris-strewn scene with both vehicles demolished. "Officers got there quickly, located a horrific-looking accident," a police spokesperson said at the time. "Debris field, two vehicles that were absolutely demolished."
Davis fled the scene on foot, leaving behind the Cybertruck, which bore a temporary Georgia license plate. The vehicle belonged to a private rental business, rented initially to an acquaintance of Davis who had planned to drive it but switched due to unfamiliarity with the model. The pair had been heading to Hartford for pizza, with the other man following in a BMW and witnessing the crash. He reported Davis had minor injuries before disappearing.
Investigators linked Davis to the truck through the rental owner, DNA samples inside the vehicle, and a seized iPhone that rang with his number. The Cybertruck's flash drive captured footage of the pickup and the crash, showing Davis passing into the wrong lane without slowing despite visible oncoming headlights from the Camry. Facial recognition software provided a 99.9% match to Davis from a prior arrest photo.
Davis turned himself in on Tuesday and is held at Hartford Correctional Center on $1.25 million bond. He faces charges including second-degree manslaughter, evading responsibility resulting in death, three counts of first-degree assault, reckless driving, and failure to drive in the proper lane.
James was remembered in a GoFundMe as a "vibrant and sweet young man" with an "infectious spirit." His mother, speaking at a vigil, said, "I just can't believe that he had to die this way. It's just not right." A separate fundraiser supports the family.