California cops on clip of SUV flying off cliff: ‘We don’t suspect that this is bogus’

Authorities in Northern California are calling a witness and his video credible after footage was released that apparently shows the terrifying moment an SUV hurtled off an oceanside cliff.

California Highway Patrol Officers in San Francisco posted the footage on Facebook Thursday afternoon, asking the public for any tips about the dark-colored Lexus, which reportedly drove off Highway 1 in San Mateo County on Monday and plunged into Pacific Ocean waters below. The witness reported the incident near Gray Whale Cove State Beach between Pacifica and Montara.

“The CHP is requesting assistance from the public in gathering additional information,” the officers wrote on Facebook. “If you or anyone you know have any information that might be helpful, please call the CHP at 415-407-3741.”

But comments on social media expressed skepticism about the video, with some wondering if the clip that CHP shared was a so-called “deepfake” — a video, photo or audio clip engineered to seem incredibly real despite being fictitious.

Authorities said they think the witness and video are believable, however.

“We don’t suspect that this is bogus or that he was being anything other than truthful,” said Bert Diaz, a spokesperson for CHP, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

CHP and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment on the video from McClatchy News on Friday.

The witness gave the dash camera video to authorities, who said in the Facebook post Thursday that the witness “was able to stop and assist the investigating officers by providing a statement and this video captured on their dash cam. The dash cam video confirmed the incident.”

Car flies off seaside cliff in California — and then vanishes, dashcam video shows

Rescuers said they called off search efforts Monday because of dangerous water conditions.

“It’s hard to determine as to what exactly happened,” Diaz said, according to ABC News. “It’s hard to say if it was intentional, if it was an accident or if there was any foul play but we’re looking into everything. ... We do know from what we’ve gathered that the vehicle did not collide with the rocks or with the hillside. ... We believe that it might have just submerged into the water.”

Cal Fire officials in San Mateo County said earlier this week on Twitter that tire tracks were found near the highway and cliff, and car parts were discovered in the water — but those may have been from other vehicles.

“You have to keep in mind that this happens periodically, so they do find car debris when they go out searching for something like this,” said Cecile Juliette, a spokesperson for the San Mateo County Fire Department, the San Jose Mercury News reported. “Once a car goes over the cliff into the water, they might never find anything even if it did happen.”

Juliette also said the witness seemed believable.

“They said he was a credible witness,” Juliette said of the person who reported the car going off the cliff, according to KPIX.

Diaz said investigators have been keeping tabs on missing person and missing car reports in case they can provide any clues, but so far authorities have had no breaks in the case, USA Today reports.

“We don’t know if it was a criminal act,” Diaz said, according to USA Today. “We don’t know if it was intentional or if it was an accident.”

As for the search and recovery effort that was put on hold, crews are still waiting for conditions to improve.

“The risk outweighed the potential of finding somebody,” U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Taylor Bacon said of the decision to call off searches in the water, per USA Today. “This is a unique situation and we’re working with partner agencies to help find the vehicle.”