A blue Tesla drove up onto the boardwalk near the 700 block on Thomas Ave in Pacific Beach around 12:40 p.m. Monday afternoon.
A 25 year-old woman was struck by an electric vehicle on the boardwalk near Reed and transported in critical condition, according to SDFD.
Lifeguards initially responded, quickly followed by Fire and PD. A woman who jumped out of the way is currently being evaluated, according to SDFD.
The car was a stolen vehicle that police were in pursuit of and the suspect is now in custody, according to San Diego police.
Police blocked off Thomas Avenue at Mission Boulevard by Open Bar. They expect that the area will be shut down for 2 to 3 hours.
“A lot of people dove out of the way very quickly and it really could have been so much worse,” said Candace Hadley, SDFD’s public information officer.
“This is a very busy boardwalk, having someone drive through this area is incredibly frightening,” said Hadley.
There were multiple witnesses of the car driving onto the boardwalk.
“I was in the middle of the path and I launched myself off my bike,” said Alex, a beachgoer coming from Santee.
“I just heard some sounds down there, commotion like something hit something and obviously he hit a gal over here, and so that was the sound that I heard. Then a moment later I see a navy blue Tesla flying by me at least 50 mph, trying to get away from the pursuit,” Miguel Valle, a witness, said.
“I didn’t know what was going on, it was a lot of sand flying,” said another woman.
NBC San Diego | Ignacio Dominguez-CoronadoNBC San Diego | Ignacio Dominguez-Coronado
Bystanders look onto the scene in Pacific Beach after a blue Tesla drove up onto the boardwalk near Baja Beach Cafe on Thomas Ave., Sept. 14, 2026.
NBC 7 San Diego | Jeff HerreraNBC 7 San Diego | Jeff Herrera
Two police cars sit on the boardwalk in Pacific Beach after a Tesla drove onto the boardwalk striking a woman, Sept. 14, 2026.
NBC San DiegoNBC San Diego
Miguel Valle
“I just heard some sounds down there, commotion like something hit something and obviously he hit a gal over here, and so that was the sound that I heard. Then a moment later I see a navy blue Tesla flying by me at least 50 mph, trying to get away from the pursuit.
NBC 7 | SkyRanger 7NBC 7 | SkyRanger 7
A blue Tesla sits on the boardwalk in front of the Baja Beach Cafe in Pacific Beach, Sept. 14, 2026.
This is a developing story. Details may change as information is released.