A driver flew off a cliff in Southern California and landed upside down on the beach following a police pursuit — and miraculously survived, according to police.
The vehicle drove off the cliff in Carlsbad shortly after 4 p.m. Monday after the driver had crashed into a fence at Carlsbad’s Fleet Maintenance Department building about 4 miles away just moments earlier, sparking a police chase, according to Carlsbad police.
The driver, who has not been identified, refused to stop for officers — but the pursuit was called off due to safety concerns.
Minutes later, police watched the vehicle drive right off the edge of the cliff and onto South Carlsbad State Beach dozens of feet down.
A witness was driving from Carlsbad Village toward the Encinas area when he saw four police vehicles following the car before watching the vehicle go over the ledge, he told NBC San Diego.
“I at first thought it was a regular traffic stop when I saw him, but when I saw the four police vehicles following him, I was like, ‘This is definitely something different,’” the witness said.
“I saw the car go off the cliff. It sounded like an explosion, honestly. It was similar to a firework,” he added. “It was just one big thud. It sounded like a wave breaking — a really hard wave. It was insane.”
Another witness, Michael Shryock, was heading south on Carlsbad Boulevard when he saw the car crash.
“It didn’t have any abnormal speeds, just looked like someone driving down coast with cops behind and his hazard lights on going 40, 50 miles per hour, then drove off the cliff,” Shryock said.
Video posted online shows the mangled red sedan upside down and smoking at the foot of the cliff moments after the crash as stunned beachgoers watched.
Officers immediately called for medical help and rushed to the bottom of the cliff on foot to assist the driver.
The driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital after being treated by members of the Carlsbad Fire Department.
Police say he is expected to survive.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but police do not believe drugs or alcohol were a factor.
