A 26-year-old man from Manchester, Connecticut, has been arrested in connection with a Christmas night crash involving a Tesla Cybertruck that killed a 14-year-old boy in Hartford. Tyron Davis turned himself in to police on Wednesday, facing charges including second-degree manslaughter and evading responsibility. The incident has sparked renewed calls for restrictions on the Cybertruck due to safety concerns.
On December 25, around 9:18 p.m., Tyron Davis, 26, of Manchester, was driving a rented Tesla Cybertruck on Cornwall Street in Hartford, just south of Hebron Street. According to court documents, Davis attempted to pass another vehicle, crossed the center line, and collided head-on with a Toyota Camry carrying four family members returning from a Christmas gathering.
The occupants of the Camry sustained serious injuries. Passenger Malachi James, a 14-year-old from Hartford or Middletown, was pronounced dead at the hospital. His father, who was driving, suffered life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition. A young child in a car seat broke an arm, a leg, and bruised a lung, while a woman in the vehicle broke her leg. Firefighters rescued the victims from the wreckage.
Davis initially approached the scene, helping bystanders remove one victim from the Camry, as captured on video from the Cybertruck, which also recorded the impact. He then fled before police arrived, leaving his phone in the vehicle. Following an investigation, a warrant was issued, and Davis turned himself in at the Hartford Police Department on Wednesday morning.
He faces charges of second-degree manslaughter, three counts of first-degree assault, evading responsibility involving death, reckless driving, and failure to drive in the proper lane. Bond was set at $1.25 million but raised to $2.5 million in court that day. "Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family during this difficult time," the Hartford Police Department stated.
The tragedy has intensified calls from the victim's family and safety advocates to ban Cybertrucks on public roads, citing the vehicle's heavy, angular design and limited pedestrian visibility as factors increasing risks in urban areas.
