Mother and daughter died after their car collapsed from the edge of a scenic lookout in Northern California over the weekend, falling 30 meters while nearly a dozen onlookers watched, officials said on Monday.
California Highway Patrol spokesman David deRutte said it was unclear why Maria Teixeira, 64, continued driving after hitting a barrier in a parking lot at the beginning of the trail in Bodega Bay, about 70 miles north of San Francisco.
Teixeira’s daughter, Elizabeth Correia, 41, was identified as a passenger in the accident that occurred around 11am on Saturday.
DeRutte said his Toyota SUV entered the large gravel lot with no parking spaces and “was driving at normal speed. He was heading towards the cliff and did not stop. There was no acceleration or braking. “
Photos of the scene showed the SUV on its roof over the rocks below. Between eight and 10 witnesses saw the fatal dive, said DeRutte.
Authorities are trying to piece together what happened, he said. A vehicle inspection should be carried out and an autopsy will determine whether Teixeira was experiencing a health problem at the time of the accident, said DeRutte.
The mother and daughter were from Pleasanton, a suburb of the San Francisco Bay area. The San Jose Mercury News reported that both worked in primary schools in the area – Correia as a first-year teacher and Teixeira as principal guardian.
First grader Tracie Culpepper described Correia as a compassionate, dedicated and natural teacher.
“She was my person and I was hers,” Culpepper told the newspaper. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without it.”
In a letter on Monday, the principal of the school where Teixeira worked, Montevideo Elementary, called her a “constant presence in our community,” reported Mercury News.
“She could be found on our campus every day, doing everything necessary to serve the community. Wherever there were people, where there was an activity, where there was someone who needed help, Dona Maria was there and willing to help ”.