Local News in Brief : Man Survives Cliff Plunge

A man described as despondent drove his sports car over a 250-foot oceanside cliff on the Palos Verdes Peninusla early Tuesday, but miraculously survived the crash into the rocks below.

“The car landed right on its nose, and the guy had only a few scratches,” Police Sgt. George Hanes said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Witnesses said they saw Scott Fischer, 30, slowly drive his Alfa Romeo convertible over a curb in the exclusive Palos Verdes Estates about 1 a.m., and “he then crossed a field and drove straight off the cliff,” Hanes said.

Investigators found tire tracks along the steep drop, indicating the car somehow stayed on its wheels down the cliff until it landed in the rocks below, Hanes said. The car’s front end was smashed in, but otherwise it sustained “surprisingly minimal damage,” he said.

A Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter rescue team flew Fischer from the crash site to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition. He was expected to remain overnight for observation.

Fischer’s mother told police her son had been drinking earlier in the evening and was despondent over personal problems, including the loss of his job, Hanes said.