One of two killed in fiery rental car crash south of Big Sur identified

BIG SUR, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 4/27/2020 1:20 p.m. One of the people killed in a fiery rental car crash south of Big Sur has been identified.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said one of the people in the car was a man from Dublin, Ireland, Aran Sheehan. He was identified using dental records.

The woman in the car has still not been positively identified. The Sheriff's Office said they are awaiting lab results and that her information is with the Department of Justice.

Both were multiple times the legal alcohol limit at the time of the crash, according to the Sheriff's Office.

UPDATE 2/18/20202:30 p.m. Two people have died after their rental car plunged off a cliff south of Big Sur.

At around 4:40 a.m., the CHP responded to a vegetation fire in the area and when Big Sur Fire responded, they confirmed that a car was 300 feet down the cliff and engulfed in flames.

A search and rescue crew responded and pulled the bodies of two people out of the wreckage of the rental vehicle, a 2018 Chevrolet Camero.

The victims have not been identified yet. The cause is still under investigation, but investigators at the scene told KION that they do not suspect alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash.

KION's Elisha Machado will have an updated report tonight at 5 and 6 p.m.

UPDATE: CHP on scene now confirming two people have been killed after a car went plunging off a cliff south of Big Sur.

The exact cause of the crash is unknown at this time and coroners are on scene to identify the victims.

Investigators say they don't suspect alcohol or drugs to have played a role in this crash.

Crews are on scene now working to remove the wrecked vehicle from the bottom of the cliff.

KION's Elisha Machado is headed out to the scene and will have a report with the latest details on KION News Channel 5/46 at 5 and 6 p.m.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The California Highway Patrol confirms one person is dead following an incident Tuesday morning.

Around 4:30, a call came in about a vegetation fire past Big Sur, approaching Lucia. When officials arrived, they noticed a car had driven off the cliff, plunging about 300 feet, and caused that small fire.

While officials confirm the accident is fatal, there is no word on an identity or others involved in the accident.

KION has a reporter en route and will update this story as details become available.