The California Highway Patrol on Wednesday was investigating the crash of an SUV that plunged off a cliff on Interstate 8, killing a 52-year-old woman who was driving and seriously injuring her 43-year-old male passenger.
The solo-vehicle crash of a 2008 red Ford Edge westbound on I-8, east of McCain Valley Road in rural East County, occurred Tuesday about 4:35 p.m., according to the CHP.
“For reasons still under investigation, the Ford Edge veered right and drove down an embankment rolling over multiple times,” said CHP spokesman Jared Grieshaber.
“The driver sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was transported by air ambulance to Scripps Memorial Hospital with major injuries. It appears alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this crash.”
CalFire Capt. Brent Pascua on Tuesday said the SUV plunged about 300 feet down the embankment. He said the male passenger was able to extricate himself and alert emergency responders to his location by yelling for help.
Grieshaber said both the driver and victim were from Wilmington, Calif. The identity of the injured passenger was not released. The identity of the deceased woman was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
City News Service contributed to this article.
