Six people were hospitalized after the two-vehicle crash sent one car into a living room.
SAN DIEGO, CA — Six people were hospitalized Thursday after a Tesla and a Mercedes collided in Clairemont, sending the Tesla through a fence and into a home on Chateau Drive, city officials and local reports said.
The crash drew wide attention after Ring camera footage showed the impact near Diane Avenue and Chateau Drive. The video showed the Tesla striking the Mercedes as both vehicles traveled south on Diane Avenue near a stop sign. The collision pushed the Mercedes into a retaining wall and sent the Tesla off the road and into the single-story home.
The crash was reported just after 11 a.m. May 28 in the 4600 block of Chateau Drive, near Genesee Avenue, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Five people in the Tesla were injured, officials said. One person in the Mercedes also was hurt. The injured included a minor. Reports from the scene said two people had major injuries and four had minor injuries. No one inside the home was hurt.
Juan Villaseñor, who lives at the home, said he and his wife were in their offices when they heard the crash. “Heard a loud crash outside and then it turned into a second crash,” Villaseñor said. “That’s when we saw dust, and a car was in our living room, obviously.” He said emergency workers helped the couple gather personal items after the home was damaged.
City of San Diego public information officer José Ysea said the city fire marshal red-tagged the property because of the damage. A red tag means the building cannot be occupied until officials determine it is safe or repairs are made. Video from above the scene showed the red Tesla lodged deep into the side of the house. The crash also damaged a fence and a gazebo and narrowly missed a pool.
The Ring footage became a key record of the sequence before the crash. It showed both vehicles moving along Diane Avenue before the Tesla hit the rear of the Mercedes. After impact, the Mercedes went toward a retaining wall while the Tesla crossed off the roadway and entered the property. Officials had not released the names of the drivers or passengers as of Saturday, and the exact cause of the collision remained under investigation.
Neighbors described hearing a long, loud crash before they went outside. One neighbor, identified as Steven, said he heard a woman yelling for help after the impact. “By the time I got out, I heard a woman yelling for help, and when I got to her, she said she was okay, but she was bleeding,” he said. Police tape blocked the area while crews worked at the scene and vehicles were towed away.
The crash happened in Clairemont, a San Diego community known for curving residential streets, canyon areas and postwar tract homes. The city’s community plan describes Clairemont Mesa as one of San Diego’s early post-World War II suburban developments, with many homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. The crash site sits near Genesee Avenue, one of the area’s major corridors.
Villaseñor said the intersection has seen traffic concerns before. He said he often hears cars honking, screeching and stopping suddenly nearby, though he said he never expected a vehicle to enter his home. He said he and his wife were thankful they were not in the living room when the Tesla came through the wall.
The San Diego Police Department was investigating the collision. Officials had not announced arrests or citations as of Saturday. The next steps include reviewing video, statements, vehicle damage and any roadway evidence as investigators work to determine what led to the crash.
As of Saturday, the six injured people had been taken for medical treatment, the home remained red-tagged, and investigators had not released a final finding on fault or cause.
Author note: Last updated May 30, 2026.