1 killed after car plunges 500 feet off Highway 1 in Big Sur

By Tim Fang

Authorities on the Central Coast have recovered a body after a car plunged several hundred feet off Highway 1 in Big Sur Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers received several 911 calls around 4:22 p.m. Tuesday reporting that a vehicle had gone off the roadway near Hurricane Point, about a mile south of the Bixby Creek Bridge. Callers said they believed the vehicle had entered the water.

The sheriff’s office, along with Big Sur Fire, established a unified command, coordinating search and rescue efforts.

First responders found the vehicle, which went off a cliff and plunged more than 500 feet, ending up on the rocks below. Rescuers located one person inside the vehicle, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Crews safely recovered the victim in an operation that continued through 8:45 p.m. amid stormy conditions.

“Weather conditions made recovery efforts extremely challenging. Strong winds required our Search and Rescue personnel to take additional safety precautions throughout the operation,” Sheriff Tina Nieto said in a statement.

The victim was transferred to the Monterey County coroner’s office for identification and notifying next-of-kin, deputies said.

“We extend our condolences to the victim’s family during this difficult time,” Nieto added.

The sheriff’s office said the incident is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.