One person died and another was injured Tuesday after a car crashed into a parked car, sending both vehicles over the cliff below San Francisco’s historic Cliff House, authorities said.
One of the vehicles, a compact SUV, crashed into the former restaurant on Point Lobos Avenue and came to rest at a set of stairs near the lower deck, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. The driver, identified as Allen Wong, 56, of San Francisco, was declared dead at the scene.
The second vehicle, a Tesla, crashed through a fence before stopping on a hill near the Cliff House. The driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
San Francisco police said they responded to a report of a crash at 4:39 p.m. and found two vehicles that were involved.
Chief Bill Scott told police commissioners at their meeting Wednesday night that the Tesla had been parked in the area when the compact SUV came around the bend and collided with the EV, sending both vehicles over the cliff.
The Cliff House opened in 1863. It closed in 2020, during the pandemic, and has not reopened. Last year, the National Park Service announced that it had selected Sutro Lands End Partners, LLC to reopen a restaurant in the space.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group will operate the planned restaurant at the former Cliff House. The group is working as a consultant for the operator, Sutro Lands End Partners, LLC.