Chicago: A 19-year-old Indian-origin student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, died after the car she was traveling in plunged off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean near the city’s iconic Steamer Lane surf break.
Alli Renee Singh, a psychology major at UC Santa Cruz, was trapped inside the vehicle after the crash near Abbott Memorial Lighthouse on the city’s West Cliff Drive. Singh, who was originally from Selma in Fresno County, California, had enrolled at the university in June 2024 and was preparing to begin her third year.
The accident occurred around 12:50 a.m. when the vehicle, reportedly driven by a male companion, left the roadway and plunged into the ocean. Emergency crews responding to reports of the crash found the car upside down and completely submerged in the water.
Five units from the Santa Cruz Fire Department, along with personnel from other local emergency agencies and the Santa Cruz Police Department, responded to the scene. Four professional rescue swimmers entered the rough waters and managed to reach Singh, who remained trapped inside the vehicle. A drone was also used to search the surrounding area.
The male passenger escaped from the submerged vehicle on his own and suffered minor injuries. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Rescuers eventually pulled Singh from the vehicle and transported her by ambulance to a regional trauma center. Despite efforts to save her, she later died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Singh was a member of UC Santa Cruz’s John R. Lewis College community. Her death has left her family, friends and university community mourning the loss of a young woman remembered for her intelligence, warmth and kindness.
Her aunt, Monica Singh-Strohmeier, confirmed Singh’s death in a social media statement and asked for privacy for the family. She described her niece as a “smart, beautiful, and loving young lady” who would be deeply missed by everyone who knew her.
The tragedy has also renewed concerns about safety along West Cliff Drive, where continuing coastal erosion has damaged portions of the roadway and reduced the distance between traffic and the cliff edge. Authorities have not disclosed what caused the vehicle to leave the road, and the Santa Cruz Police Department is continuing its investigation.
(With the input of various agencies
