Man dies after car crashes, falls nearly 500 feet off Highway 1 cliff
A 58-year-old man has died after his vehicle fell nearly 500 feet off a Highway 1 cliff near Santa Cruz on Monday, Cal Fire officials said.
Read more UCSB rapist at large as victim’s family demands outside investigation
The crash happened just before 1 p.m. near Greyhound Rock Beach in Santa Cruz County, Cal Fire said. The man, who was from Santa Rosa, was driving a black 2017 Honda Pilot south on Highway 1 north of Scott Creek, when it was determined that he, for reasons still under investigation, drove off the edge of the road, struck a call box and went over the cliff, according to Cal Fire.
The driver sustained major injuries as a result of the crash and, despite life-saving efforts by two California State Parks lifeguards, was pronounced dead at the scene.
HAPPENING NOW: A vehicle went over the steep cliff an estimated 400 to 500 feet down just south of Greyhound State Beach in Santa Cruz County, right off of Highway 1.
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) May 18, 2026
CAL FIRE, Santa Cruz County Fire, San Mateo County Fire, CAL FIRE SCU, Santa Cruz City Fire, CHP-Santa Cruz, CA… pic.twitter.com/c52W9puQSt
The man is believed to have been the sole occupant of the Honda at the time of the crash, and it remains under investigation by the CHP. It’s currently unknown whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash, Cal Fire said.
Read more Musk deletes rant about ‘activist Oakland judge’ after OpenAI ruling
Anyone with potentially helpful information regarding the crash is asked to call CHP dispatch at 831-796-2160.
— TSA quietly updates policy on bringing marijuana through security
— 2 e-bike riders fatally struck while at stop sign in Northern Calif.
— BTS superstar takes viral photo on the Stanford campus
— Bay Area city suddenly scraps plan for town square, angering locals
Sign up for daily SFGATE breaking news alerts here.
The Bay Area’s best free newsletter.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.
Read more Nearly 12K Bay Area customers still waiting for power to be restored
