Deadly Crash Closes Highway 9

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, CA - State Highway 9 east of Saratoga is closed in both directions this afternoon due to a crash that killed one person, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officers responded to a call at about 3:20 p.m. that a vehicle had run off the road and down a 50-foot embankment near Sanborn Road, CHP spokesman Ross Lee said.

The vehicle, which was carrying multiple people, was fully engulfed by flames before emergency crews arrived. All but one person was able to get clear of the car, Lee said.

Highway 9 will be closed for at least another hour. Drivers are advised to use a different route.

— Bay City News; Image by Renee Schiavone, Patch