A 46-year-old man was killed when his truck went off of state Highway 1 along the Sonoma Coast during a pursuit and crashed 75 feet down to a beach below, California Highway Patrol officials said Monday.
The chase began around 9:25 p.m. Sunday when a state parks ranger observed a Ford Ranger pass her with multiple mechanical violations, according to the CHP.
The ranger pulled out to try to stop the truck but the driver accelerated away from her, continuing north at about 55 to 60 mph, CHP officials said.
As the truck approached Portuguese Beach near Bodega Bay, it went straight through a slight curve, going off of the roadway and falling about 75 feet down to the beach. The ranger stopped and saw that the truck was partially submerged and its driver had been ejected and was in the water, according to the CHP.
Authorities went down to the water and determined the driver, a Cazadero resident, had died. His name is not yet being released by the Sonoma County coroner's office pending notification of his family.
Video at the scene showed the truck flipped over on its roof at the edge of the beach.
