Santa Rosa Man Dies After SUV Falls Off Highway 1 Cliff

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A 58-year-old Santa Rosa man died Monday after the car he was driving went over a cliff on state Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County.

At a little before 1 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers were called to an area along Highway 1 just south of the beach at Greyhound Rock.

When they arrived, officers found that a black 2017 Honda Pilot that was headed south had veered off the roadway, hit a call box, plowed through some bushes and careened off the cliff, according to the CHP.

Several emergency response agencies soon arrived and helped in the rescue attempt, including Cal Fire, the Santa Cruz County Fire Department, San Mateo County Fire Department and the fire department from the city of Santa Cruz.

Two city of Santa Cruz lifeguards swam from the beach at Greyhound Rock to the small pocket beach where the Honda had ended up, which is 400 feet to 500 feet below the roadway.

The lifeguards found the sole occupant of the SUV and administered CPR while a Cal Fire helicopter crew lowered a hoist basket to bring the man back up to paramedics at the top of the cliff, according to Cal Fire officials.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the CHP.

His name is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin, according to a spokesperson for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation and investigators do not yet know if drugs or alcohol were factors.

Anyone with information is asked to call CHP dispatch at (831) 796-2160.

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