A Laguna Beach father tragically died on Memorial Day after a driving lesson with his teenage daughter ended in a fatal accident.
The 64-year-old man was instructing his 15-year-old daughter, who holds a learner’s permit, when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated through a fence and plummeted nearly 40 feet down an embankment, landing upside down on Coast Highway.
Emergency responders pronounced the father dead at the scene. His daughter, though seriously injured, was taken to a nearby hospital and is now in stable condition.
Authorities believe the teen may have accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. The incident remains under investigation.
Officials described the event as a deeply sorrowful reminder of how quickly a routine moment can turn into tragedy.