Bystanders Tackle Driver After Tesla Hits Woman on Boardwalk

Witnesses say a Tesla came barreling down San Diego's Pacific Beach boardwalk on Monday, and police now say the driver shouldn't have been behind the wheel of it at all. NBC News reports that officers were tracking the reportedly stolen car just after noon when they tried to pull it over, then cut off the chase that resulted as the risk to "public safety" grew, according to San Diego police. Minutes later, the Tesla sped onto the crowded boardwalk, hitting a 25-year-old woman and narrowly missing others before stopping near Baja Beach Cafe.

Bystanders ran after the fleeing driver, then tackled and held him until officers arrived, video recorded by one of the witnesses shows. The woman struck was hospitalized in critical condition; she's said to have suffered two broken ribs, some broken vertebrae, and a cut on her stomach, per NBC 7 San Diego. Lifeguards at the scene checked out other people who'd had to jump out of the way, though none required hospitalization, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. Police say the driver, IDed by NBC 7 as Juan Gonzaba, is suspected of being under the influence and are investigating the incident as a felony hit-and-run. Gonzaba also faces DUI and vehicle theft charges.