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Driver Survives 60-Foot Plunge Into Canyon in University City

A driver in a truck lost control on Regents Road, near Lahitte Court, and flew 60 to 70 feet into a canyon Friday afternoon

A driver somehow survived a plunge off a busy road 60 feet down into a canyon in University City Friday as fire crews worked to stabilize his truck so he could walk away safely from the wreckage.

Just after 1 p.m., the driver, traveling alone, lost control at Regents Road near Lahitte Court, veering off the street and falling between 60 and 70 feet down into a canyon. The truck wound up nose-down, wedged inside the brush.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) Battalion Chief David Connor said that when firefighters descended the steep canyon, they were shocked to find the driver conscious and unscathed. He was stuck inside the truck.

Connor said crews worked quickly to stabilize the wreck so the driver could get out. Eventually, he removed himself from the truck and walked away on his own.

“I think he’s very lucky,” Connor told NBC 7. “To go that far down the canyon and end at the angle he did without flipping and tumbling down – it’s remarkable that he’s uninjured.”

The battalion chief said the crash is under investigation. The driver wasn’t sure what happened or why he suddenly lost control.

University City resident Atta Hrlal, who has lived in the neighborhood for 33 years, said crashes like this one happen pretty consistently in the area. Since living there, he’s seen at least a half a dozen accidents happen on that road.

“Some people go right through that barricade into that canyon,” he explained.

The name of the driver was not released.

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