CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV)— A man was transported to the hospital for life-threatening injuries after leading Carlsbad police officers in a police pursuit and driving off a cliff Monday afternoon.
At approximately 4:01 p.m., an officer with the Carlsbad Police Department witnessed a collision where the driver crashed into the fence surrounding the city's Fleet Maintenance Department in the 2400 block of Impala Drive, according to a release sent by the police department. The vehicle's driver fled the scene, prompting officers to initiate a traffic stop.
The press release said officers started a police pursuit after the driver refused to stop, but was eventually canceled due to safety concerns at Palomar Airport Road, west of Avenida Encinas.
After the pursuit was dropped, the release said officers saw the vehicle accelerate at a high rate of speed before veering off the roadway, over a cliff, and landing on the beach in the 5500 block of Carlsbad Boulevard.
The driver sustained life-threatening injuries, and Officers immediately called for medical assistance and went down the cliff on foot to provide the driver with life-saving measures, according to the release.
Officials with the Carlsbad Fire Department treated the driver on the scene, who was later transported to the hospital. The driver is expected to survive, the release said.
The department is investigating the cause of the collision, and preliminary findings suggest that DUI was not a factor in the crash.
The police department also encourages those who may have witnessed the collision to contact the department at 442-339-2115.
