Investigators are still trying to determine if a fatal crash involving a mother and daughter in San Francisco Bay was accidental or intentional after they saw dozens of spectators through a parking lot without braking, before stepping on the side of ‘ a cliff at a popular Northern California coastal lookout over the weekend.
California Highway Patrol Officer David de Rutte told the media on Monday that the cause of the accident that took place on Saturday morning in the Bodega Bay’s main route is still being investigated. It is unclear why Maria Teixeira (64) continued to drive her Toyota SUV through a wooden barrier in a large car park on the route before descending the cliff.
“Witnesses saw the vehicle drive through the parking lot – and it just kept driving,” de Rutte said. “It did not stop. There was no acceleration, but no brake either. ‘
US MARSHALS SAFE INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEE FOR QINXUAN PAN, 2 MONTHS AFTER YALE STUDENT’S MURDER
The sheriff of Sonoma County has identified a woman in the passenger seat as Teixeira’s daughter, 41-year-old Elizabeth Correia.
Bodega Bay firefighters are working to secure the scene of an accident after a vehicle from the Bodega Head car park in Bodega Bay, California, fell through a wooden barrier, landed left and upside down 100 feet to the rocky shore and two people in the SUV, Saturday, April 3, 2021. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat via AP)
Both women were found dead when rescuers reached it down the cliff and reached the vehicle, which landed about 100 feet down on the roof, the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District said. Dozens of people saw the crash as beachgoers and hikers flocked to the scenic Pacific Ocean to watch the Easter holidays in clear weather.
De Rutte said a vehicle inspection would be done and an autopsy would be done to determine if Teixeira had a medical condition during the incident.
Bodega Bay firefighters are working to secure the crash scene after a vehicle from the Bodega Head car park in Bodega Bay, California, plunged through a wooden barrier, landed left and upside down 100 feet to the rocky shore, and two people in the SUV, Saturday 3 April 2021. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat via AP)
The mother and daughter lived in the city of Dublin, San Francisco Bay Area, about 100 kilometers south of the crash site. Both were employees of public schools in the Bay, reports The Mercury News, referring to family members and sheriff’s officials. Teixeira was principal at Montevideo Primary School in nearby San Ramon, and Correia was a first-class teacher at Lydiksen Primary School in Pleasanton.
Teixeira “was just a warm, kind person, she was so smiley and happy. She helped everyone,” Erin Aitken, a teacher and former colleague, told the newspaper, remembering how proud Teixeira was when her daughter became a teacher. has. “She was a great cheerleader for her children. And she clearly loved being a child.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
According to Correia’s bio on the school’s website, she has been teaching in Pleasanton since 2005, where she grew up.
The Sonoma County sheriff is handling the autopsy, which is expected to last between two and three months and which will include the deaths from the autopsies, spokeswoman Misti Wood told Fox News when it was reached by telephone on Tuesday. California Highway Patrol is handling the investigation into the crash and will determine if it was intentional or accidental, she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.