A driver and passenger from Dublin were found dead after reportedly driving a Toyota over the cliff at the West Bodega Head parking lot into the rocks about 100 feet below Saturday, according to an April 3 press release from the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The Sonoma County Coroner’s office released their identities of the dead, who were 64-year-old Maria Teixeira, the driver, and 41-year-old Elizabeth Correia, the passenger, the press release said.
The press release said Santa Rosa CHP responded to the crash at about 11 a.m. on Saturday and that other responders included the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, California State Parks and Fish and Game. Assistant Fire Chief Steve Herzberg said Bodega Bay Fire Protection District responded as well.
The silver Toyota Rav4 drove into the parking lot and proceeded westbound at an unknown speed, “without slowing or stopping,” and ran into a log barrier at the boundary, the press release said.
The vehicle moved the log and advanced over the cliff and “it does not appear the Toyota was speeding or driving unsafely prior to the collision” following conversations with witnesses, the press release said.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Misti Wood said the Sheriff’s Office’s resident deputy in Bodega Bay and the office’s helicopter Henry-1 responded to the crash, as well as the office’s coroner detective when they learned the two individuals did not survive.
The Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation into the cause and manner of the two deaths, she said. According to Wood, the crash occurred on state parks land and CHP will investigate the collision incident itself, talking to witnesses and pursuing what happened and why.
CHP Officer Marcus Hawkins said the county coroner’s office will perform autopsy responsibilities and the highway patrol will conduct a vehicle inspection to learn more.
Filling in for Public Information Officer David deRutte, Hawkins said the April 3 press release contained the extent of what he knows about what happened. He said CHP has its own unanswered questions about the crash as well.
According to the press release, CHP is interviewing witnesses and requests that any witnesses of the crash or its prior events contact the Santa Rosa CHP Office at 707-588-1400 if they haven’t already talked with CHP.
