4 survive in 'miracle' after car plunges off California cliff

MONTARA, Calif. (AP) — A 4-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy, and two adults were rescued Monday after their car jumped off a Northern California cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway near an area known as Devil’s Slide that’s known for dangerous wrecks, officials said.

The Tesla sedan plummeted more than 250 feet (76.20 meters) from the highway and smashed into a rocky outcropping. It also flipped a few times before landing on its wheels, wedged against the cliff just feet from the surf, according to Brian Pottenger, a battalion chief for coastwide Fire Protection District/Cal Fire.

Crashes along Devil’s Slide, a steep, rocky, and winding coastal area about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) south of San Francisco that's between Pacifica and Montara, rarely end with survivors. On Monday, the victims were initially listed in serious condition but all four were conscious and alert when rescuers arrived.

“We go there all the time for cars over the cliff and they never live. This was an absolute miracle,” Pottenger said.

The California Highway Patrol does not believe, based on its initial investigation, that the Tesla was operating in Autopilot or Full Self-Driving mode at the time, Officer Mark Andrews said.

The road's conditions were also not believed to be a factor in the crash. There was no guardrail at the spot where the sedan went off the cliff.

“The car traveled off the main portion of the roadway. For what reason, we don’t know,” Andrews said.

Officials are investigating that caused the Tesla to go off the highway in that spot.