Piedmont Turkey Trot goes on despite tragic death of three young people in fiery crash

PIEDMONT, Calif. - The tight-knit community of Piedmont is in mourning after three young people died in a fiery solo-vehicle crash early Wednesday morning, one day before a city tradition that took place on Thanksgiving morning - the Piedmont Turkey Trot.

People touched by the tragedy that killed three Piedmont High graduates, and seriously injured another, stopped by the crash site on Hampton Road to lay flowers, light candles and say a prayer. And they also ran in the annual community event, despite their feelings of grief. 

Mayor Jen Cavenaugh was shaky when she read a speech to the crowd before the turkey trot kicked off.

"These things aren't supposed to happen in our community," she said. "We don't get a practice ground for this, and there's no rulebook for how we show up today. I went to bed last night thinking the words might come today for what to say. It turned out there are no words that will bring these kids back to us." 

Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said all four were riding in a Cybertruck when it crashed and burst into flames about 3 a.m. 

A young man trailing the Cybertruck was able to pull one of the four people out of the vehicle and that person was taken to the hospital. The other three were declared dead. It's not clear why the Cybertruck veered off the road.  

Bowers said that emergency crews tried to douse the fire with extinguishers, but the intensity of the flames was too hot. He also said that speed was likely one of the contributing factors to the crash. 

Many who knew the victims, who they believe were home from college for the holiday, were too overwhelmed with grief to speak on camera.

"I knew all of them, and just knowing them even at arms length is enough to know how bad everyone feels," said resident and Piedmont Turkey Trot Race Director Sydney Proctor. 
"They're home on the holiday, they're meeting up with their friends, you've just finished your first year or your first semester."

Proctor said more than 2,400 people are expected to participate in the Thanksgiving tradition, which she chose not to cancel in light of the tragedy.

"We are a really tight-knit community, it's very hard when you have a loss like this of such young bright lives and I think that creating a space in a town like this is key to processing grief. It's still more somber here today at the bib pick up. It's probably going to be more somber tomorrow at the race," said Proctor. "But we do feel that some people are going to show up and they're going to want to hug and they're going to cry and that's OK."

Proctor said the group made the decision to modify the racecourse to ensure that runners would not pass by the home of a victim or a victim's family member.

Two sponsors, including Robin Lee, a former Piedmont High alum, and Oakland Flower Market, donated 1,500 flowers in total, so runners can take a moment to place them at the memorial site, located about a hundred feet off the course.

Chris Cestaro, who owns Body Fit Training in Rockridge, is a first-time race sponsor.

"It makes me want to cry, sadness, just being deeply thoughtful about how lucky we are, and unfortunately these things are not that uncommon," he said. "There's a song that says you're one phone call from your knees and it just makes you realize, don't take anything for granted."

Piedmont Police have not released the victims' names out of respect to their families. 

But it was obvious many in the crowd knew who died. 

Several people stood by somberly, some crying and hugging each other.

During the mayor's speech, Cavenaugh implored the community to be there for each other, announced that the community church is open for sanctuary, and gave a brief update on the only survivor, whom she described as a young man "fighting for his life," who is heading into surgery.

Cavenaugh offered her prayers to his family and the other young people who witnessed the tragedy unfolding in real time. 

Piedmont resident and clinical psychologist Naomi Adelson, who attended the race, said this has a ripple effect on everybody in a small community.

"We like fixing things," Adelson said. "And this is something that we can't fix. This is something that we just have to witness, and we just have to be there. And there's no right thing to say, and there's no wrong thing to say. It's just a question of hearing people who are going through grief." 

As for holding the turkey trot during such somber times?

Adelson said she thinks it's wonderful that the community came out for something positive and people can experience their grief in many ways. 

"Whether that's running the race as best as they possibly can or whether that's just being with their friends and family, whether that's going off on their own in nature, walking their dog, whatever it is." 

Adelson said. "There's no right thing to do." 

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