Authorities identify man killed after vehicle plunged off Santa Cruz Wharf
SANTA CRUZ — The victim of a Sunday morning crash at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf that resulted in a vehicle driving through the railing and into the Monterey Bay has been identified as William Westerman, 65, of Scotts Valley. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Westerman’s identity Monday afternoon.
On Monday, lilies had been placed at the spot on the wharf where the vehicle drove through the railing and a crew from the city of Santa Cruz was working to repair the damage.
A Coast Guard vessel and a Harbor Patrol boat are seen through crime scene tape on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf during Sunday’s response to a van that drove into the Monterey Bay. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Numerous Santa Cruz County public safety agencies take part in a water rescue after a person drove off the Santa Cruz Wharf on Sunday morning. Crews extricated the driver and dog that was also in the car.
Lilies serve as a memorial on Monday for William Westerman, 65, of Scotts Valley as workers at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf repair the spot where Westerman drove his minivan through the fence and into Monterey Bay on Sunday. Rescue workers extricated Westerman from the submerged vehicle, but he was declared dead shortly thereafter at Dominican Hospital. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
A large fuel slick created when a van drove into the Monterey Bay floats towards the wharf on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
A diver secures the van to straps to be raised from the water on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Rescue swimmers searching for victims are seen through the break in the wharf’s railing caused by the van that drove into the water. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
A Toyota Sienna van is raised to the roadway of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf from the Monterey Bay Sunday afternoon by a crew from Extreme Towing. Santa Cruz fire and police were dispatched to the wharf Sunday morning for a vehicle that had driven off the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The Santa Cruz Fire Department, Central Fire, California State Parks, Scotts Valley Fire, and the Santa Cruz Police Department all responded to the scene. One victim died at the scene and a dog was rescued and survived. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
The van that was driven off the wharf is lifted from the Bay on Sunday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
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A Coast Guard vessel and a Harbor Patrol boat are seen through crime scene tape on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf during Sunday’s response to a van that drove into the Monterey Bay. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
At approximately 9:49 a.m. Sunday, the Santa Cruz Fire Department responded to reports that a vehicle had driven through the railing across from Marini’s Candies and fallen into the water. Upon arrival, crews found approximately 15 feet of railing missing and a Toyota Sienna minivan submerged in the water.
Thirteen lifeguards, two personal watercraft and two boats were deployed, and responders were able to break a window and extricate Westerman, who was unconscious. He was then loaded onto a watercraft and transported to the Santa Cruz Harbor where American Medical Response and fire crews administered aid until Westerman was transported to Dominican Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Around the same time, a dog was found in the water and placed in the care of Santa Cruz County Animal Control Services. It was not confirmed if the dog had been in the vehicle.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department received assistance from the Santa Cruz Police Department, Scotts Valley Fire Department, Central Fire District, Harbor Patrol, American Medical Response, U.S. Coast Guard and California State Parks. No additional injuries or environmental impacts were reported, and no other occupants were believed to be in the vehicle, Santa Cruz Fire Chief Joshua Coleman said at a press conference Sunday.
Details regarding what led to the crash, including how fast the car was going and what caused the car to go over the wharf, are still being investigated by the Santa Cruz Police Department.
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