'Absolute Miracle': 2 Adults, 2 Kids Survive After Tesla Plunges Off California's 'Devil's Slide'

By Zenger News January 4, 2023 at 1:44am

Four people, including two children, are lucky to be alive after their Tesla plunged off a Northern California cliff in an area known as Devil’s Slide along the Pacific Coast Highway Monday morning. Officials said the stretch of roadway is notorious for fatal crashes.

The four-door Tesla sedan plummeted more than 250 feet from the highway, crashing into the rocky shoreline below. Damage to the vehicle indicates that it likely flipped multiple times before landing on its wheels, wedged between the cliff and the shoreline, Brian Pottenger, a battalion chief for Coastside Fire Protection District/Cal Fire, said in a video update shared online.

This image from video provided by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office shows a Tesla vehicle that plunged off a Northern California cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, near an area known as Devil’s Slide, leaving four people in critical condition, a fire official said. The vehicle fell about 250 feet (76.20 meters (250.00 feets)) from the highway, the fire official said. Motorists were told to expect delays as rescuers worked. Helicopters were expected to transport four people to hospitals. SAN MATEO COUNTY SHERIFFS/ACCUWEATHER

Once emergency services arrived on the scene, they quickly moved to reach the vehicle and occupants. As the crews were lowering firefighters down a cliff, other firefighters watching the car with binoculars suddenly noticed movement in the front seat through the windshield, according to Pottenger.

Witnesses called 911 around 10:15 a.m. and the crews set up a rope system from the highway to lower firefighters down the cliff, the battalion chief said. At the same time, other firefighters watching the sedan through binoculars suddenly noticed movement – a sign that at least one person was still alive.

“So we knew that we had at least one person alive,” Pottenger said. “[But] at that point, we did not know how many people were in the vehicle.”

Helicopters were ordered to help expedite the rescue efforts for those trapped in the Tesla of which only parts were left.

“This morning, a vehicle with 2 adults and 2 minors went over cliff at Devil’s Slide in @sanmateoco. Witnesses saw the accident and called 911. The car plunged hundreds of feet down the cliff and landed on the beach. All four patients were successfully rescued.” According to Cal Fire CZU on Twitter.

Heavy rain, gusty winds and crashing waves associated with a storm system bringing historic rainfall to California hampered the rescue efforts, and the victims were trapped in the car for over an hour, authorities said.

Emergency crews had to use special extrication tools to pry open the doors that were jammed shut. Once they gained access inside, first responders discovered that all four victims were still alive. The two children — a 4-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy — suffered minor injuries. They were pulled out of the back window and carried up the cliff using a rescue basket.

“They were more scared than they were hurt,” Pottenger said.

This image from video provided by San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office shows a helicopter rescue after a Tesla plunged off a Northern California cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, near an area known as Devil’s Slide, a fire official said. SAN MATEO COUNTY SHERIFFS/ACCUWEATHER

The two adult victims were hoisted up from the shore by a helicopter and flown to the hospital. They suffered non-life-threatening injuries but were in critical condition, NBC Bay Area reported.

“We go there all the time for cars over the cliff, and they never live,” Pottenger said,”This was an absolute miracle.”

“This afternoon, deputies responded to a solo vehicle over the side of Hwy 1 south of the Tom Lantos tunnel. Two adults suffered non-life threatening injuries and two children were unharmed. Tremendous collaborative effort btwn SMSO, @CHP_GoldenGate and @calfireSCU” According to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s office on Twitter.

While the road’s conditions were not believed to be a factor in the crash, there were no guardrails at the spot where the Telsa went off the cliff. Also, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Andrews told the AP that based on the initial police investigation, the Tesla was not operating on Autopilot or in “full self-driving mode” at the time of the crash.

In this image from video provided by Cal Fire San Mateo, Santa Cruz Unit, emergency personnel responds to the scene after a Tesla plunged off a cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Northern California, near an area known as Devil’s Slide, a fire official said. CAL FIRE SAN MATEO/ACCUWEATHER

Robin Johnson watched as the accident unfolded right in front of her.

“As I’m driving by, I’m like, ‘Wow, he’s driving extremely fast to take that exit.’ You’re not even supposed to be going up that way,” Johnson told NBC Bay Area. “And I can see in my rearview mirror this car that just [went] over the edge and straight down.” She then quickly called 911.

The accident has been turned over to California Highway Patrol, which will investigate and determine what caused the vehicle to go off the highway in the notorious ‘Devil’s Slide’ area.

Authorities did not release the victims’ names or their hometowns.

Produced in association with AccuWeather.

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