Driver Who Crashed Car Off Cliff May Have Been Suicidal

Heavy surf pounds the wreckage of a crashed car as firefighters rescue its driver

A 19-year-old man who crashed his car down a 300-foot cliff may have been trying to kill himself, police said.

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Firefighters risked their lives as they pulled the man out of his trapped vehicle as it was being lashed by waves.

The rescue happened at 2 a.m. Friday at the Bluff Cove (map) area of Palos Verdes Estates, about 25 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.

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Waves slammed into the car, rocking it back and forth, as rescue personnel attempted to reach the driver. No one else was in the car.

The man was airlifted him to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition.

A fire captain said the act was intentional.

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