1 dead after car crashes, tumbling into Malibu Canyon

One person was killed Wednesday after a car left the road in the Malibu Hills, authorities said.

The fatal crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Malibu Canyon Road near Adamson Flat, less than two miles north of Pacific Coast Highway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash halted traffic in both directions on Malibu Canyon Road, a two-lane stretch that runs through the Santa Monica Mountains, uniting Calabasas with Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway.

The road winds along hills and can be treacherous, with steep drops into the canyon below. The crossing has been the scene of several fatal accidents over the years.

Aerial footage from KTLA-TV Wednesday evening showed a silver-gray vehicle fell more than 100 feet off the cliff into the brush and rocky ravine below. Firefighters crossed the canyon to reach the vehicle.

It’s unclear what led to the crash, which remains under investigation by the CHP. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner attended the scene; the identity of the deceased has not been released.

In October, Luis Gonzalez, 25, died on Malibu Canyon Road when his car overturned and fell down an embankment about a mile north of Pacific Coast Highway.

In 2022, two vehicles collided on the road, killing 18-year-old Skylar Scripter and injuring several others.

Wednesday’s fatal crash comes months after four Pepperdine University students were killed when they were struck by a car while standing along Pacific Coast Highway. Fraser Bohm, then 22, was charged with murder and manslaughter. The incident has reignited safety concerns over speeding motorists in and around this picturesque coastal enclave.