Woman killed after ATV rolls off SLO County cliff into ocean in drunk driving crash, CHP says
A Paso Robles woman died after the all-terrain vehicle she was in rolled off a cliff into the ocean near Harmony on Monday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officers responded around 3:50 a.m. Monday to reports of a vehicle accident on the beach west of Alapay Way near Harmony, the CHP said.
A group of four people who were camping with others were riding south, away from the camp, in a rented Can-Am ATV when the vehicle went off the side of a steep cliff edge, the CHP said.
The ATV rolled down the cliff side into the water near the shoreline, the CHP said.
The driver, 35-year-old Maria Arayza of Los Angeles, and two of her passengers, a 42-year-old man from Long Beach and a 46-year-old man from Germany, were able to get out of the vehicle by themselves, the CHP said.
Arayza and the two passengers climbed back up the sea wall and notified other campers, including the person who rented the ATV the CHP said.
According to the CHP, the person who rented the vehicle then went down to the shore and extricated the final passenger, a 34-year-old Paso Robles woman.
Upon arrival, first responders climbed down the cliff to the scene of the crash and pronounced the Paso Robles woman dead, the CHP said.
The CHP said all four occupants of the ATV were wearing seat belts but none had helmets on.
Arayza and one passenger were transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo with moderate and minor injuries, respectively, the CHP said. Another passenger, who suffered minor injuries, refused transport to the hospital, the ATV said.
According to the CHP, Arayza was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and charged with a DUI and causing injury or death to another and gross vehicular manslaughter.
As of 9:15 a.m. Monday, Arayza did not appear to be in San Luis Obispo County Jail, according to booking logs.
The name of the deceased woman will be released when her family is notified, the CHP said.
