One person lost their life this morning after a vehicle went off the side of Highway 1 near the Mendocino Coast town of Westport.
Scanner traffic and the California Highway Patrol Traffic Accident Information Page indicate the accident occurred around 10:13 a.m. when a white van traveled off the side of the roadway coming to rest on its side against a tree.
When the Incident Commander arrived on the scene, he initially reported the occupant as unconscious. At 10:45 a.m., the party was declared deceased and authorities requested the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office coroner be dispatched to the scene.
UPDATE 11:45 a.m.: According to Westport Fire Department, Hwy 1 is temporarily closed due to tow truck extraction of the van. There is no estimated time to reopening.
UPDATE 1:33 p.m.: Scanner traffic indicates that the vehicle has been extricated from the crash site, first responders have cleared the area, and Highway 1 has reopened to traffic.
Please remember that this story is unfolding. Information is being reported as we gather it. However, some of the information coming from witnesses and initial official reports could be wrong. We will do our best to get the facts but, in the case that something is inaccurate, we will update with correct information as soon as we can.
RIP🙏🏻