Man attempted suicide in Highway 1 crash near Fort Ross

A crash Sunday on Highway 1 near Fort Ross was caused by a man attempting suicide, according to the CHP.

Police are not identifying the man, a 55-year-old Petaluma resident, who is at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on a psychiatric hold. CHP spokesman David deRutte said the man’s injuries are “major,” but he is expected to survive.

The operation to rescue the man from his vehicle involved five local and state agencies, and the fire chief of Monte Rio climbed down the hill to help extract the man from his vehicle. The vehicle had plummeted off the cliff off the side of the highway, falling 200 feet before hitting a tree. The man had to be airlifted to the hospital.

Julian Loveland, 29, of Santa Rosa, discovered the vehicle Sunday afternoon while stopping to look for a surf spot, and climbed down the hill to offer assistance. Loveland said the vehicle had hit the only tree on that section of the cliff, preventing it from falling farther.

“If he didn’t hit the tree, pretty much, he would’ve rolled all the way to the beach, which is like a mile away,” Loveland said.