Update: One person dead after car plunges off Highway 1 cliff near Big Sur

One person died after a vehicle plunged off a cliff on Highway 1 north of Big Sur on Tuesday.

The incident was first reported around 4:20 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol Traffic Incident Information Page.

Responders located the vehicle on the rocks just before the shoreline, about 750 feet off the roadway, according to CHP spokesperson Luis Lugo.

Lugo confirmed one fatality and said responders were still attempting to extract the victim from the car as of 8 p.m.

The vehicle was located on land and did not end up in the water, as was initially reported on the CHP log.

Rainy and windy weather conditions from the storm system hitting the Central Coast appeared to complicate response efforts Tuesday night.

The CHP page said its H70 helicopter unit was attempting to launch, but reported as of 4:46 p.m. they “most likely may not be able to make it out there.”

This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 6:40 PM.