A Pleasanton family of four going for a ride met their untimely end after the father driving the car lost control and slammed into a tree, igniting a fire.
Tarun George, of Pleasanton, was driving his family consisting of his wife, Rincy, and children Rowan and Aaron when the accident occurred around 9 p.m. on April 24th on Foothill Road near Stoneridge Drive in Pleasanton.
Police say Tarun lost control of the electric VinFast vehicle they were in and the car collided with a tree and burst into flames.
First responders did their absolute best to save the family but it simply wasn’t to be as all 4 died at the scene.
Their deaths ignited a firestorm of tributes and supportive messages as the family were remembered for being wholesome and decent.
Tarun George in particular was hailed for being a great dad and an even better co-worker.
Hasan Shaikh of Pleasanton said who worked with George at a tech company said: “It’s very shocking, very nice person – always you know, energetic,” Shaikh said.
He added: “It was a great family, great personality they definitely will be missed – great father, great coworker and a great person overall,”
The tragedy stunned the local community who rallied to ensure the family’s memory was properly honoured.
Who was Tarun George?
Tarun Cherukara George, 41, was a Pleasanton man with a beautiful family and a great job living his best life until tragedy struck.
Tarun was married to Rincy George, also 41, and their marriage welcomed two children, Rowan George, 13, and Aaron George, 9.
He also had a great job, working at ChargePoint, an electric vehicle charging network company based in Campbell.
Most co-workers said Tarun was a delight to be around, an incredible employee and a great friend.
His two kids were also receiving the best available education with Rowan in eighth grade at Hart Middle School, and Aaron in second grade at Donlon Elementary School.
Everything was going on great for this all-American family until Tarun made a fateful decision one day to borrow a vehicle from a friend to transport his family.
The car Tarun borrowed was a 2023 VinFast VF8 which unbeknownst to him had been having some steering issues.
The reason Tarun needed to borrow a car might never be known but it is on such tiny decisions that fates turn.
On the fateful crash day on April 24th, Tarun lost control of the car and slammed into a tree on Foothill Road near Stoneridge Drive.
The car burst into flames and the entire family died.
Pleasanton police later said they believe speed may have been a factor in the crash as the driver lost control and collided with a large oak tree.
However, the co-worker who lent his car to Tarun had a completely different theory as to why the car might have crashed.
Vin Fast Defect
A complaint submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the 2023 VinFast VF8 car had some issues before the crash.
According to the owner of the car, who filed the complaint, there were times he would be driving and “the steering wheel automatically maneuvered”.
His complaint noted, “that the failure recurred where the lane assist was turned on by default and it would automatically move the steering wheel.”
The co-worker added that they believe the same thing might have happened to Tarun and led to him losing control of the car and crashing.
KTVU reports that NHTSA has received close to a dozen other complaints about the VinFast model dating back to last summer and at least three of them mention steering and lane assist issues.
Eager to ward off news of their car potentially being defective, VinFast released the following statement.
“VinFast is aware of this tragic accident and our hearts go out to the family. the authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident and will share their findings when their work is completed,” the company said.
Irrespective of what caused the crash, the George family’s death is irreversible.
One can only hope that the NHTSA investigation leads to some serious consequences for whoever deserves to be punished for this senseless tragedy.