Laguna Beach, California – On the afternoon of May 26, 2025, a devastating crash along the Coast Highway in Laguna Beach killed one man and seriously injured a young driver, according to police.
According to the Laguna Beach Police Department, emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at around 2:43 p.m. after a vehicle was discovered wrecked on Coast Highway between Wesley Drive and Montage Resort Drive.
Police later clarified that the crash began at a nearby shopping center rather than on the highway itself.
The preliminary investigation by Laguna Beach police revealed that the vehicle, driven by a young person with a learner’s permit, was in the upper parking lot of Gelson’s Market when it broke through a security fence.
The vehicle then plunged approximately 40 feet down an embankment before coming to a halt on the highway beneath.
According to police, the young driver suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo for emergency treatment.
An adult male passenger in the vehicle at the time of the incident was pronounced dead on the scene, according to police. Authorities have yet to release the names of those involved, as well as the driver’s age and gender.
The Laguna Beach Police Department stated that the exact cause of the collision is still under investigation. Officials have not yet determined what caused the vehicle to breach the barrier and lose control.
“The Laguna Beach Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragic incident,” the department said in a public statement.
The section of Coast Highway between Wesley Drive and Montage Resort Drive was temporarily closed while crews responded to the scene and conducted an investigation.