Driver dies after car plummets 500ft from Big Sur cliff on California’s iconic Highway 1

A driver has died after plummeting 500ft off California’s Highway 1 at Big Sur.

Search and recovery teams from Big Sur Fire and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) were dispatched at around 4.20 p.m. Tuesday after receiving 911 calls about a car careening off of the highway.

But they were unable to recover the victim until 8:45 p.m., citing poor weather conditions and strong winds at Hurricane Point.

The site of the crash is a popular viewpoint on Highway 1, as it overlooks the California coast, but is known to be treacherous with a history of accidents.

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

While Central California has not been impacted by the cold snap stretching across America’s East Coast and Midwest, the area was experiencing high winds and rain on February 10, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

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A statement from MCSO confirmed that the vehicle had travelled off of a cliff along the highway, landing among rocks below.

Images released by MCSO of the search and recovery operation show a large number of personnel in rain gear clambering down a steep cliff-face.

The driver was eventually recovered after being pronounced deceased on the scene, and transferred to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office for identification and next-of-kin notification, per MCSO. The victim is yet to be identified to the public by authorities.

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Sheriff Nieto said: “We extend our condolences to the victim’s family during this difficult time.”

The cause of the tragedy is now under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.

This crash comes less than a month after the stretch of Highway 1 between Monterey and northern Big Sur, which includes Hurricane Point, was re-opened to the public for the first time since 2023 when it was closed due to ongoing landslides.