Body recovered after vehicle plunges off Highway 1 near Hurricane Point
By Ricardo Tovar
Click here for updates on this story
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KSBW) — A vehicle went over a cliff and into the ocean along southbound Highway 1 near Hurricane Point on Tuesday afternoon, and Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto confirmed one person died.
The California Highway Patrol received reports shortly after 4:20 p.m. that a vehicle had driven off the roadway about a mile south of Bixby Bridge. Authorities initially said at least one person was believed to be inside.
“We received a call about 4:30. Units responded, the fire department, public safety. When we got here we have evidence a car did go over the edge. We’re in the middle of what we call search and rescue operations to send a team down over the cliff,” Nieto said.
Responding personnel later located the vehicle more than 500 feet below on the rocks. Rescuers found one occupant, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Recovery efforts continued until about 8:45 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office is handling identification and next-of-kin notification.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The weather in the area was rough, with rain and wind.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.