The life of 19-year-old UC Santa Cruz student Alli Renee Singh was abruptly cut short when the car she was inside plunged off of a cliff at night and into the ocean.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene of the crash around 12:50 a.m. on Aug. 13 following reports that a car had driven off of West Cliff Drive near Steamers Lane, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.
When they arrived, they found that one victim of the crash had managed to escape the car with minor injuries, while a second victim remained trapped inside.
Four ocean rescue swimmers jumped into the ocean and dove down to the submerged vehicle, where they were able to successfully extract the victim, who was later identified by her family as Alli Renee Singh. She was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where she died of her injuries, according to the Fire Department.
“We were heartbroken to learn that the victim was a UC Santa Cruz student,” said university spokesperson Scott Hernandez-Jason. “Our deepest condolences go out to the student’s family and friends during this difficult time. We are providing support resources to those affected by this tragedy.”
Singh enrolled in UC Santa Cruz in June 2024 and was a psychology major, according to Hernandez-Jason. Of the school’s 10 residential colleges, she was part of the John R. Lewis College community, which focuses on themes of social justice.
Her aunt Monica Singh-Strohmeier shared a statement on social media confirming that Singh was the victim of the Aug. 13 car accident and asking for privacy for her family during this difficult time.
“Alli was a thriving 19 year old in the midst of starting her 3rd year at UC Santa Cruz,” she wrote. “She was a very smart, beautiful and loving young lady and will be missed by all who crossed her path.”
A spokesperson for the Santa Cruz Police Department said that the driver of the car was female, while the surviving passenger was male. The spokesperson said the incident remained under investigation but provided no further details on the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The accident took place near the iconic Steamer Lane surf break, described by Surfer Today as the heart and soul of Santa Cruz surfing where locals have been paddling out since the 1930s. During heavy winter swells, waves 20 to 30 feet can slam against the cliffs.
The section of West Cliff Drive near where the accident took place was heavily damaged by high waves during the winter of 2023-24 and has been further degraded by ongoing coastal erosion.
The city plans to move 600 feet of roadway farther inland next year to improve safety and reduce the effects of future erosion. The fatal accident underscored just how narrow the distance between traffic and the cliff’s edge has become and marks the latest driving incident associated with steep roads in Santa Cruz County.
In June, three people died after losing control of their vehicle and tumbling 400 feetoff an embankment in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A month earlier, a 58-year-old man died after his car plunged off of a cliff along Highway 1 in Davenport and onto the beach below.
Times staff writer Grace Toohey contributed to this report.
The post 19-year-old UC Santa Cruz student ID’d as victim after car plunges off cliff into ocean appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
