1 dead, 1 critically injured after car plunges 330 feet off Ventura County cliff

LOS ANGELES – A family member reportedly was the first to find a car that had plunged 330 feet off the road on Sunday night, after receiving a phone call from one of the victims.

After their car drove off a cliff in Ventura County, one of the vehicle’s two occupants reportedly called family members to tell them about the accident. At least one relative found the car before rescuers reached the scene on Christmas night.

By then, the driver was in critical condition. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash was reported to the California Highway Patrol just after 6:30 p.m., according to the agency’s log of the incident, which described the occupants as a “brother and uncle.” Their vehicle went over the edge of Santa Susana Pass Road on Sunday east of Simi Valley, according to authorities and published reports.

A CHP spokesperson told KTLA that a family member called in the accident, which reportedly occurred just east of Box Canyon Road in hilly terrain near the eastern edge of Ventura County.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. The CHP log noted that the person who tried to communicate had an injury to the tongue, so it had been difficult to obtain information.

Firefighters initially described treating two people with major injuries. At around 7:10 p.m., crews said one of the patients had died, according to the Ventura County Star.

The road was shut down as emergency crews worked. Helicopters from Ventura County and Los Angeles agencies responded to assist with the rescue.

“From my understanding, one of the parties called family, and the family ended up locating the vehicle,” Timothy Wren with CHP told KTLA.