A 6-year-old boy was killed Saturday night when his father backed a Tesla Cybertruck out of the family's driveway just east of Temecula, striking the child outside their home near Highway 79. The boy, identified as Preston El Guindy, was pronounced dead later that night after being rushed to a hospital in Wildomar. His father, 48-year-old Tarik El Guindy, was behind the wheel at the time and immediately called for help.
The collision happened shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, outside the family's residence on Brookhaven Court, according to The Press-Enterprise. Tarik El Guindy was exiting the driveway in reverse when the Cybertruck struck his young son, the outlet reported. He called 911 immediately, and Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the scene within minutes.
The child was rushed to a Wildomar hospital, though accounts differ on which one — The Press-Enterprise identified it as Inland Valley Medical Center, while Patch reported it as Inland Valley Hospital. Both outlets agree that Preston died there later that night.
No Autopilot, No Warning
The Tesla was not operating in autopilot mode at the time of the crash, the Press-Enterprise report noted. Investigators told Patch that no dashboard alerts flashed or sounded to warn the father that his son was in the vehicle's path.
Responding officers found no indication that Tarik El Guindy was impaired, per the same report from Patch, and the California Highway Patrol's investigation remained ongoing as of Monday. CHP has extended condolences to the family and others affected by the loss, according to MyNewsLA.
A Known Risk in Driveways
Backup cameras have been required on all new light vehicles under 10,000 pounds since May 1, 2018, under federal regulation, Patch reported. Tesla has said all Cybertrucks have come equipped with rear-facing cameras since the model entered production in November 2023.
Even so, the outlet's report points to broader risks tied to larger vehicles: children ages 5 to 9 are four times more likely to die when struck by a pickup truck or SUV than by a smaller passenger car, and some full-sized pickups carry blind spots up to 11 feet longer than those of standard sedans, according to the same Patch report. Those figures underscore why driveway backover incidents remain a persistent danger even as camera technology has become standard equipment.
