Video shows car driving off Highway 1 cliff in San Mateo County; search suspended
Local // Bay Area & State
Anna Bauman Jan. 2, 2020 Updated: Jan. 2, 2020 8:51 p.m.
A search helicopter flies over the rugged coastline where a vehicle was captured on video driving off the side of Highway 1 near Gray Whale Cove in San Mateo County on Monday.
Photo: Cal Fire
A vehicle caught on video driving off a 100-foot cliff along Highway 1 has not been found, and rough waters have forced officials to suspend the search.
A man driving northbound south of Gray Whale Cove along San Mateo County's scenic cliffside drive on Monday morning saw a dark-colored sport utility vehicle drive straight off the cliff instead of curving with the road, according to the California Highway Patrol. His dash-cam recorded the incident, officials said.
Video footage released Thursday by the CHP shows the SUV driving up a slight incline on the edge of the road at a high speed before catapulting off the edge.
"Unfortunately, as beautiful of a drive as SR1 is, it's also dangerous when you're cliffside," said Bert Diaz, CHP San Francisco spokesman.
The witness pulled off at a safe place and called the CHP at 10:37 a.m., Diaz said. An officer spoke with him on the phone before arriving at the scene at 10:58 a.m.
Diaz said he believes the video and the witness are credible.
"We don't suspect that this is bogus or that he was being anything other than truthful," Diaz said.
The CHP, U.S. Coast Guard, Cal Fire and other San Mateo County agencies responded with air, land and sea crews. Tire tracks were found at the scene, according to a Cal Fire tweet.
HAPPENING NOW: Multiple agencies are searching for a vehicle that was reported to have gone off the cliff at Grey Whale Cove. One witness reported the incident. Tire tracks were found. Car parts found in water, unclear if the parts connected to this incident. pic.twitter.com/rPBUZYILWY
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) December 30, 2019
Diaz said officials have not determined what caused the SUV to go off the cliff.
"At this point, we don't know if there was any foul play or if it was intentional or just merely an accident where they happened to veer off the road," Diaz said. "It would be impossible for us to speculate the cause."
Authorities have been unable to identify the person or persons driving or riding in the car, and have not confirmed the type of vehicle. Search crews found parts from different cars in the water. It is unclear which of those parts, if any, are connected to the case.
The Coast Guard responded with two helicopters, four boats, one cutter and one drone Monday, but the agency has since suspended its search effort, said spokeswoman Lt. Athena Stricker.
CHP crews suspended their search around 5 p.m. the day of the crash as water conditions worsened, Diaz said.
The area is under a high-surf advisory that warns of 11- to 14-foot swell, according to the National Weather Service. Cold water is unsafe for divers, Diaz added, and officials will continue searching when conditions improve.
"All we can hope for is better water conditions," Diaz said.
Anna Bauman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: anna.bauman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @abauman2
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Anna Bauman is a reporter from Kansas City, MO covering breaking news for The San Francisco Chronicle metro desk. She recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma where she studied English and worked at the OU Daily student newspaper.
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