A driver was killed in Encinitas Saturday morning after his car flew off a cliff, landing on the beach below, officials confirmed.
Encinitas Fire Department Battalion Chief Robbie Ford said the driver, for unknown reasons, veered off the road near F Street at around 6:50 a.m., traveling down a cliff and onto the beach.
When emergency crews arrived, they found the driver – who was alone in his car – had died from injuries suffered in the crash. The collision shut down the F Street overlook in Encinitas, Ford said.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) confirmed the driver was suicidal and had called his girlfriend about 10 minutes before the crash to say he was going to drive his car off a beach cliff.
The SDSO said the man drove through the guardrails in the 400 block of 4th Street, falling 80 feet before crashing on the beach.
No one else on the beach was injured, officials said.
Due to the wet sand and high tide approaching the scene of the crash, the SDSO said a forklift loader was used to remove the vehicle from the beach.
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Although the San Diego County Medical Examiner will determine the man's cause of death, at this time, the SDSO said it appears the crash was intentional.
No further details were released.
