Three individuals died Monday evening when a vehicle departed State Route 9 near Saratoga, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash occurred around 9:36 p.m. west of Redwood Gulch Road, sending the car down a steep slope in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The driver, identified as a 21-year-old man from Yuba City, was among those killed. CHP also named the other victims as a 27-year-old man from Salem, Oregon, and a 17-year-old boy from San Jose. Preliminary reports suggest the driver lost control of the 2024 BMW M3 before it left the roadway.
Authorities closed both directions of the highway for approximately three hours to recover the vehicle and examine the scene. The specific cause of the incident remains under investigation, and officials noted that early details are subject to change.