According to NBC NEWS, Two adults and two children, 4 and 9, were rescued from a Tesla that plunged 250 feet off a cliff Monday morning in San Mateo County, California, officials said.
The car was traveling on the Pacific Coast Highway when it went over the cliff at Devil’s Slide, south of the Tom Lantos tunnel, and landed near the water’s edge, the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit said.
The car flipped and landed on its wheels, Cal Fire/Coastside Fire Incident Commander Brian Pottenger said. Witnesses called 911.
As crews were lowered to the crash site, they were able to see movement in the front seat through their binoculars, indicating there were survivors.
“We were actually very shocked when we found survivable victims in the vehicle. So that actually was a really hopeful moment for us,” Pottenger said.
He said it’s “very, very rare” for people to survive such a steep fall. “It’s fairly common that we get vehicles off these cliffs” in the area south of Devil’s Slide, he added.
Fire officials called for helicopters to help hoist the survivors to safety. As they waited, firefighters rappelled to the scene and rescued the children.
Pottenger said both kids were in car seats that “saved their lives.”
“The car seats actually did their job. Amazingly, they stayed in place. They were intact, and there was no damage to them,” he said.
The California Highway Patrol shared a video on social media showing helicopters lower first responders to the scene to extricate and rescue two adults.
Pottenger said the children and the adults were “grateful that we were there.”
All four were awake and conscious when they were transferred to Stanford Medical Center.
Pottenger said the children suffered minor musculoskeletal injuries and the adults suffered moderate traumatic injuries in several areas.
It’s not clear what caused the car to go over the cliff. The highway patrol is handling the investigation.
Highway patrol officials said they do not believe the vehicle was in self-driving mode.
We wish a quick recovery for others involved in this crash during this very difficult time.
When individuals are harmed or killed in traffic accidents, and another party is at fault, full compensation is not always granted, despite the circumstances. Skilled legal representation from a car or truck accident attorney is typically a must in these situations.
Photo credit: NBC NEWS
Legal Defenders at the Law Offices of Burg and Brock has helped countless families and individuals obtain the compensation they need to deal with expenses and move on with their lives. For a police report or other information, call us today at (818) 405-9091.
What California law says after a car accident
Reporting requirements after a California collision
California imposes reporting duties on drivers that are separate from any insurance claim.
A report must be filed with the DMV on form SR-1 within ten days of a collision that caused any injury, any death, or more than one thousand dollars in property damage to any one person. This duty applies regardless of fault, applies even when police responded and wrote their own report, and is not satisfied by notifying an insurance company. With current repair costs, most collisions that involve a body shop meet the damage threshold.
A separate rule covers collisions causing injury or death. The driver must make a written report to the California Highway Patrol, or to the city police department where the collision happened in a city, within twenty four hours. The statute states this duty for every injury or fatal collision. In practice, where officers responded and completed a report at the scene, that report generally satisfies the agency’s need, but a driver who assumes this without confirming it is relying on practice rather than on the text of the law.
Missing the DMV deadline can lead to suspension of driving privileges, an outcome unrelated to who caused the collision.
California filing deadlines for injury and death claims
In California, a lawsuit for personal injury caused by another person’s negligence generally must be filed within two years of the injury, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. A claim for a death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect runs under the same two-year period.
Shorter deadlines apply in specific situations. If a city, county or state agency may be responsible, a written claim must normally be presented to that public entity within six months. Claims involving minors, injuries that are not discovered right away, and certain defendants can follow different timelines.
Which deadline applies depends on the facts of each situation, and the standard two-year period does not govern every claim.
Your Rights After a Car Accident in California
A collision like this one raises questions about fault, insurance and medical costs, usually before anyone has had time to think about them. These guides explain how California handles them.
- Los Angeles car accident lawyer: fault, insurance offers, and what a claim is worth
- Brain and spinal cord injury lawyer: for collisions causing serious or lasting injury
- All practice areas