Overview
- Police tried to stop an unidentified driver on Mission Boulevard before midday Monday and the fleeing stolen Tesla struck an electrical transformer then mounted the Pacific Beach boardwalk.
- The vehicle hit a 25-year-old woman on the boardwalk and lifeguards with San Diego Fire‑Rescue transported her to a hospital in critical condition.
- The driver abandoned the Tesla and ran on foot, witnesses say they chased and held him until San Diego police arrived and officers took at least one suspect into custody.
- San Diego police are treating the case as linked to auto theft and a suspected DUI and closed the scene for hours for investigation and evidence collection.
- The boardwalk is a busy pedestrian corridor so investigators face public‑safety and legal questions about potential charges such as vehicular assault and what steps officials will take to prevent similar incidents.