[06-22-2026] Santa Cruz County, CA – Three Killed After Vehicle Plunges Off Highway 9 in Santa Cruz Mountains

Three people died after their vehicle went off Highway 9 and fell down an embankment in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Monday night, June 22, 2026.

According to the California Highway Patrol San Jose office, the crash was reported around 9:30 p.m. near Redwood Gulch Road, about five miles west of Saratoga.

A 2024 BMW M3 was traveling eastbound when the driver, a 21-year-old man from Yuba City, lost control. The car left the roadway and traveled approximately 300 feet down an embankment.

The driver and two passengers, a 27-year-old man from Salem, Oregon, and a 17-year-old boy from San Jose, were all pronounced dead at the scene.

The CHP continues to investigate the crash.

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