

The car went off the left side of the Zanker off-ramp from Highway 237, then crossed the on-ramp and came to rest in a grassy area.

SAN JOSE — Three members of a Fremont family suffered serious injuries when their Tesla sped off an off-ramp from Highway 237 and crashed on a field, the California Highway Patrol reported.

But a young man’s quick action likely avoided a more serious crash involving other vehicles.

The driver, a 55-year-old man, apparently had suffered a diabetic attack and passed out around 10:45 a.m. Saturday as he was driving west on Highway 237.

In the back seat, the driver’s 23-year-old son unbuckled his seat belt, leaned over to grab the steering wheel, and steered the car onto the Zanker Road offramp, according to a report by Officer Ryan Fifield.

But with the father’s foot pressing on the accelerator, the car’s speed exceeded 80 miles per hour. The son could not negotiate a right curve in the road, and the car flew off the left side of the off-ramp, bounced between the on-ramp and the off-ramp, then hurtled over the on-ramp, coming to rest in a field, Fifield said.

The CHP did not release the names of the victims.

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The driver suffered a broken back. His 50-year-old wife, seated in the front passenger seat, suffered a broken left wrist and broken right ankle. The son suffered a broken left arm and broken pelvis.

All three victims were transported to Regional Medical Center.