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Malibu Driver Nearly Killed Twice: Escapes SUV Cliffhanger — Then Gets Hit By Passing Tour Bus, Still Alive

By Antonio J. Newell
Published on: 02:54 PST, Apr 5, 2016

A California driver was nearly killed twice on April 2 along Malibu Canyon Road. According to local authorities, the Malibu driver had just run off the road and was disoriented.

The Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station notes that the driver was traveling along Malibu Canyon Road when he lost control of his SUV and careened into the overlooking canyon ledge. Upon the wreck, the Malibu driver’s SUV partially dangled over the cliff-side. While the driver did escape, he was slightly disoriented from the ordeal.

According to KCAL-9 News‘ video of the crash scene, as reported by MSN, the driver then encountered a passing tour bus during his disoriented state. After being struck by the bus, the man was knocked to the ground — but was still alive and breathing, as mentions California Highway Patrol.

After arriving to the crash scene, responders from the Los Angeles County Fire Department transported the Malibu driver to a local hospital for treatment, says the sheriff’s station. According to a sheriff’s spokeswoman, as reports Reuters, the driver had not been identified at the time of the incident. Likewise, authorities didn’t know the cause of the driver’s initial accident.

While intoxicated driving or speeding haven’t been ruled out, all reports mention issues of disorientation for the Malibu driver.

According to a collision statistics report from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, 1,687 vehicle occupants were killed by collisions in 2013 — non-alcohol related. However, 1,197 separate driver collisions were alcohol related, in the same year, and resulted in death. Likewise, another 651 separate driver fatalities were caused by drunk driving. Yet, in large contrast, the numbers of injured drivers and victims soar above and beyond those numbers by the tens of thousands.

Nevertheless, the sheriff station notes that this particular driver incident is now in the hands of California Highway Patrol. As a lasting thought, the sheriff’s station mentions, “This is another reminder of the need to drive safely through the canyons of our beautiful area and to use extreme caution at the scene of a traffic collision.”

If you’ve ever been a driver along California’s canyon areas, you know that there are several twists and turns on those elevated roadways. Likewise, there isn’t much space separating the driver from opposing traffic and the canyon side. Sometimes, there are railings along the roadside to help drivers from going over the side. However, from this incident, you can see that it offers minimal protection against such possibilities.

Fortunately for the Malibu driver, the Lost Hills station is part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and has quick resources available and at its convenience. According to the department’s website, it’s the largest sheriff’s department in the world, statistically. It describes itself as a department divided into four focus areas.

“The Department is divided into four main operations. Within the main operations of Custody Operations, Patrol Operations, Countywide Services and Administrative & Professional Standards there are an additional subgroups of thirteen divisions, each headed by a Division Chief. From within these divisions are bureaus and specialized units that provide specific services to the county, the county residents, other county, state and federal agencies.”

And likewise, this California driver was rescued by one of those specialized areas of interest at the incident scene.

Interestingly enough, John Lose mentions that “fate” seemed to be after the driver. And with all the current luck he’s having, he should probably “play the lottery cause escaping death twice is like winning it,” says John.

All in all, what are your thoughts about this Malibu driver? Why do you think he collided with the railing? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, below.

[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images News]

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