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Fatal Crash February 24, 2026 San Leandro, Alameda County, CA

Worker Killed After Tesla Careens Into Rear of Parked Semi-Truck on Doolittle Drive in San Leandro – February 24, 2026

Yervand Teimourian, a worker in the process of unloading a semi-truck parked on Doolittle Drive in San Leandro, was struck and killed on the morning of Tuesday, February 24, 2026, when a white Tesla Model 3 collided with a red Dodge Ram and careened into the rear of the truck where he was standing. Both drivers were uninjured and remained at the scene. San Leandro police are investigating the cause of the initial collision. No impairment is suspected of either driver.

Incident Summary

Type
Chain-Reaction Crash — Worker Struck at Parked Semi-Truck
Location
1700 block of Doolittle Drive, San Leandro, Alameda County
Date
February 24, 2026
Time
Approximately 11:27 a.m.
Victim
Yervand Teimourian, Glendale — died from injuries at hospital
Description
White Tesla Model 3 and red Dodge Ram collided southbound in adjacent lanes; Tesla careened into rear of parked semi-truck where victim was unloading
Tesla
Manually operated — Autopilot not a factor
Both Drivers
Uninjured; remained at scene, cooperating
DUI / Drugs
Not suspected of either driver (per SLPD)
Agency
San Leandro Police Department — investigation ongoing

Crash Location

Open in Google Maps

What Happened

On the morning of Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at approximately 11:27 a.m., a fatal chain-reaction crash unfolded on Doolittle Drive in San Leandro's industrial corridor. A white Tesla Model 3 and a red Dodge Ram pickup truck were both traveling southbound in adjacent lanes in the 1700 block of Doolittle Drive when the two vehicles collided. The impact caused the Tesla to lose control and careen into the rear of a semi-truck that was parked in the turn lane. A worker, Yervand Teimourian of Glendale, was standing at the back of the semi-truck in the process of unloading it when the Tesla struck him.

Emergency crews responded and transported Teimourian to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. The Alameda County Coroner's Office confirmed his identity the following day. The drivers of both the Tesla Model 3 and the Dodge Ram were uninjured and remained at the scene to speak with investigators. San Leandro police confirmed that the Tesla was being manually operated by its driver at the time of the crash — Autopilot was not a factor. No impairment of either driver is suspected. The exact cause of the initial collision between the Tesla and the Dodge Ram remains under investigation by the San Leandro Police Department.

A Worker Doing His Job — Legal Options for the Family

Yervand Teimourian was at work when he was killed — not by his employer, but by the negligence of drivers on a public road. California law provides his family with meaningful legal options that go well beyond what workers' compensation alone can offer.

Third-Party Wrongful Death Claim Against the Drivers

California law preserves the right of an injured worker's family to sue a negligent third party — someone other than the employer — for wrongful death. Here, that third party is one or both of the drivers whose collision set off the chain reaction that killed Mr. Teimourian. Workers' compensation does not protect the Tesla driver, the Dodge Ram driver, or their insurers from civil liability. The family can pursue a full wrongful death lawsuit against whichever driver was at fault for the initial crash, seeking compensation that far exceeds what workers' comp death benefits provide — including loss of companionship, financial support, and the full human cost of Teimourian's death.

Workers' Compensation Death Benefits — A Separate Track

Because Teimourian was working at the time of his death, his employer's workers' compensation insurance should also provide death benefits to eligible dependents — including burial expenses, wage replacement for dependent family members, and related costs. Importantly, collecting workers' comp death benefits does not prevent the family from simultaneously pursuing the third-party wrongful death civil claim against the drivers. The two are separate legal tracks, and an attorney can coordinate both to maximize the family's total recovery.

Liability in a Chain-Reaction Crash — Tracing the Negligence

The key question in this investigation is what caused the Tesla and the Dodge Ram to collide in the first place. If the Tesla driver failed to maintain a safe lane, was distracted, or followed too closely, the Tesla driver bears primary responsibility. If the Dodge Ram's actions forced the Tesla out of its lane, the Dodge Ram driver may share or bear primary fault. An accident reconstruction expert can analyze vehicle positioning, speed, skid marks, and any available traffic camera or dashcam footage to establish the sequence of events and identify the responsible party.

The Parked Semi-Truck and Roadside Worker Safety

Doolittle Drive is a commercial corridor in San Leandro's industrial zone, where deliveries from parked trucks are routine and foreseeable. Drivers have a duty to recognize that workers may be present near parked commercial vehicles and to exercise appropriate care. The fact that the semi-truck was visible and parked in the turn lane, and that a worker was engaged in the ordinary activity of unloading it, will be central to the liability analysis against whichever driver was responsible for the initial collision.

Alameda County and Bay Area Traffic Safety

2,000+
Fatal traffic crashes reported statewide in California in 2024, with nearly 300,000 total collisions — in a state that continues to rank among the most dangerous in the nation for traffic fatalities despite ongoing safety initiatives
CHP / SWITRS 2024
$40M
Verdict in a 2024 California wrongful death case involving a pedestrian struck by a driver who caused a chain-reaction crash — illustrating that courts take multi-vehicle crashes resulting in bystander deaths very seriously
California 2024 wrongful death verdict
Workers' Comp + Civil Claim
When a California worker is killed by a negligent third party on the job, the family can pursue both workers' compensation death benefits from the employer AND a civil wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible driver — simultaneously. Workers' comp death benefits are capped; a civil wrongful death claim is not, and can include full compensation for the loss of the worker's companionship, financial support, and life
California Labor Code / Code of Civil Procedure §§ 377.60–377.62

Notable Verdicts in Similar Cases

$40M
California 2024 wrongful death verdict for a pedestrian struck and killed by a government vehicle in a chain-reaction-style incident — driver found primarily at fault for negligent operation
California 2024
$17M+
Largest wrongful death jury verdict in Sacramento County history — obtained in a case involving multiple responsible parties and a victim who was working at the time of the fatal crash
Sacramento County
Millions
Wrongful death settlement for surviving family members of a worker killed in a third-party vehicle crash while on the job — both workers' comp benefits and civil damages were recovered simultaneously through coordinated claims
California / third-party WD

The above are publicly reported verdicts and settlements from California wrongful death cases involving workers and pedestrians struck in traffic crashes. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. The value of the Teimourian family's claim will depend on the findings of the SLPD investigation, fault allocation between the drivers, and the full scope of the family's economic and non-economic losses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the family sue the drivers even though he was killed on the job?
Yes. California law specifically preserves the right to sue a negligent third party even when workers' compensation applies. The drivers of the Tesla and the Dodge Ram are third parties — not Mr. Teimourian's employer. Workers' compensation protects the employer from being sued, but it provides no shield to the negligent drivers who caused the collision. The family can file a full civil wrongful death claim against the responsible driver simultaneously with any workers' comp death benefits claim.
Who can be held liable in a chain-reaction crash like this one?
California law allows multiple parties to be held liable depending on who caused the initial collision. If the Tesla driver failed to maintain their lane or was negligent in some other way, they may be primarily liable. If the Dodge Ram driver's actions forced the Tesla out of its lane, the Dodge Ram driver may share or bear primary fault. An accident reconstruction expert can analyze vehicle positions, speeds, and any available dashcam or traffic camera footage to trace the chain of causation.
Does the workers' comp claim affect the civil wrongful death lawsuit?
The two claims run on separate tracks. Workers' comp provides no-fault death benefits from the employer's insurer; the civil wrongful death lawsuit pursues full damages from the negligent drivers. If the employer's workers' comp insurer pays out, they may assert a lien against any civil recovery — but an experienced attorney can manage this coordination to maximize the family's net recovery from both sources combined.
Was Tesla's Autopilot involved in this crash?
No. San Leandro police and multiple news sources confirmed the Tesla Model 3 was being manually operated by its driver at the time of the crash. This is a conventional negligence case involving two drivers whose collision caused the Tesla to strike a parked semi-truck. Any potential claim related to Tesla's Autopilot system is not applicable here.

Related Resources

Practice Area
Wrongful Death Attorney
Helping families in Alameda County and throughout California pursue civil wrongful death claims — including when a worker is killed by a negligent third-party driver.
Practice Area
Oakland & Alameda County Car Accident Lawyer
Representing injury victims and families across Alameda County — including San Leandro — after serious and fatal traffic collisions.
Knowledge Hub
Wrongful Death Claims in California
Who can file, what damages are available, and how California's wrongful death laws apply when a worker is killed by a negligent third-party driver on the job.
Knowledge Hub
Fatal Crashes & Wrongful Death Claims
What families need to know about pursuing wrongful death claims after a loved one is killed in a multi-vehicle crash in California.

Workers' Comp Is Not the Only Option

When a worker is killed by a negligent driver, California law gives the family the right to pursue full civil wrongful death damages — on top of workers' comp benefits. Our attorneys handle both tracks simultaneously to maximize your family's recovery. Free consultation, no fees unless we win.

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