Crime & Safety
Man Dies In Fatal Wreck Fleeing Police Near Santa Cruz
After a roughly four-minute-long pursuit, the driver went off the road for unknown reasons and crashed into rocks, police said.
SANTA CRUZ, CA — A 48-year-old Santa Cruz County man died after crashing his vehicle during a pursuit with law enforcement on Friday night.
A State Parks officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop at Natural Bridges State Beach at about 8:45 p.m. when the driver of the white, 1996 GMC Yukon fled.
The man was initially contacted by the officer for expired registration and for allegedly almost backing into a crowd of people, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
After a roughly four-minute-long pursuit, the driver went off the road for unknown reasons on West Cliff Drive, east of De La Costa Avenue, where he crashed into rocks. The driver, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene.
CHP is investigating the wreck to try to determine the cause, including whether drugs or alcohol played a factor.
— Copyright © 2024 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
