David Scott Lapensee dies in fatal La Jolla car crash

David Scott Lapensee dies in fatal La Jolla car crash

Fatal La Jolla car crash death of David Scott Lapensee – Obituary

David Scott Lapensee, a 76-year-old man from Florida, lost his life after his car broke through a barrier and plunged off a cliff into the ocean near La Jolla Cove on Tuesday evening.

Authorities confirmed that the crash occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on Coast Boulevard. Emergency responders from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, including six lifeguards, reached the scene swiftly and managed to extract Lapensee from the submerged vehicle within 13 minutes of the 911 call. Despite performing CPR at the scene, he was later declared dead at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Lapensee and reported his death early Wednesday morning. As of Friday, the official cause and manner of death had not been determined.

No additional passengers or individuals were found in or near the vehicle. A total of 30 personnel were involved in the rescue effort, according to officials.

The following day, lifeguards assisted a towing crew in retrieving the wrecked white Toyota from a notoriously treacherous part of the coastline known as “the hole,” a location surrounded by cliffs and known for strong currents and backwash. The vehicle was eventually lifted back onto Coast Boulevard using a crane around noon.

Investigators are working to recover data from the car’s crash recorder to understand what led to the fatal plunge.