A man was hospitalized Tuesday after his SUV slammed through a guardrail and fence and plunged down a steep cliff in Carlsbad, falling into the ocean, authorities say.
The crash was reported shortly after 5:15 p.m. when the Subaru went off the road at Palomar Airport Road and Carlsbad Boulevard.
Kevin Lynds, a Carlsbad Fire Battalion Chief, told 10News that a former Marine corpsman was among those who came to the driver's aid and pulled him out of the vehicle, which landed on its side in the water. Video shot by 10News showed the man being loaded onto a stretcher and helped by firefighters up the cliff to a waiting ambulance.
The driver reportedly didn't brake before going through the guardrail and fencing and plunging more than 150 feet to the state beach property.
The man told rescuers he swerved to miss an animal before going off the road, said Carlsbad Battalion Chief Ben Rosenthal. He was the sole occupant of the SUV.
The driver suffered minor injuries in the crash and remained hospitalized Wednesday, said Jorge Moreno, a spokesman for state parks. He said state parks officials will be investigating the crash.
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