30-Year-Old Woman Survives After Car Plunges 150 Feet Over Cliff Near ‘Dead Man Overlook’ in California
A dramatic rescue took place this week in Los Angeles, California, after a car plummeted up to 150 feet over a cliff on Mulholland Drive in Studio City. Emergency crews rescued the driver of the vehicle, a 30-year-old woman, using both air and ground resources.
The crash left the woman trapped inside the vehicle. Before extricating her from the car, emergency personnel first had to stabilize it to keep it from moving or falling further down the cliffside. Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Adam Van Gerpen told CBS LA that the car came to rest on top of two power poles, which created “a void space” that protected the woman’s head.
According to a Los Angeles Fire Department report, the car plunged over a cliff near the Mulholland Scenic Overlook, also known to hikers as Dead Man Overlook.
Authorities are currently unclear about what caused the car to plummet over the cliff
Someone reported the crash at 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday. After ground resources made their way to the car to initiate stabilization and extrication operations, a helicopter lowered a paramedic rescuer to assess the crash victim. Rescuers had to cut off the roof of the car in order to reach the woman.
Shortly after 8 a.m., emergency responders removed her from the vehicle and placed her on a stretcher. They then hoisted her to the rescue helicopter and airlifted her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The woman was listed in serious but stable condition, according to authorities.
More than a dozen emergency personnel participated in the rescue effort. The cause of the crash is under investigation, so it is currently unclear whether it was due to mechanical failure or driver error.
