Mazda Driver Fleeing Police Plunges Off Cliff And Somehow Survives

California police witnessed a bizarre sequence of events on Monday involving a Mazda driver who seemed intent on turning a routine traffic mishap into a cinematic spectacle. The saga began with a fence collision and a quick getaway, escalated with a police evasion, and concluded with the car hurtling off a cliff onto the beach below. Miraculously, the Mazda’s occupant survived the plunge and, despite severe injuries, is expected to recover.

According to the Carlsbad Police Department, an officer saw the Mazda crash into a fence in the 2400 block of Impala Drive at around 4 p.m. Authorities say the driver “fled the scene recklessly,” and so officers attempted to make a traffic stop. However, the motorist didn’t stop. Just west of Avenida Encinas, the officers actually broke off pursuit for safety reasons.

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That evidently didn’t register with the driver who then drove off of a cliff at the 5500 block of Carlsbad Road. Officers immediately called for emergency services and then descended the cliff on foot to provide life-saving measures. NBC San Diego spoke to a local who saw parts of the chase.

“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 person said. “I saw the car go off the cliff. It sounded like an explosion, honestly. It was similar to a firework. It was just one big thud. It sounded like a wave breaking — a really hard wave. It was insane.”

Rescue teams eventually extracted the driver and rushed them to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. At this stage, they’re expected to survive. For the time being, it’s unclear what led the driver to make so many errant choices. Interestingly, police don’t believe at this stage that drugs or alcohol were involved. What is clear is that the Mazda did an amazing job of sheltering the driver and sustaining their life until rescue workers could arrive. 

Image Credit: CBS 8 San Diego