Police chase in California ends after a suspect’s car flies off a cliff

CARLSBAD, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A police chase in Carlsbad, California ended with the suspect's car flying of a cliff on Monday.

Footage captured showed the mangled remains of a car after it careened off the cliff, trying to escape Carlsbad Police.

"It sounded like an explosion, similar to a fire work it was one big thud...I almost got hit. it was like my heart dropped," said Michael Shryock, a witness.

Shryock says the chase passed right by him as he headed south on Carlsbad Boulevard.

"It didn't have any abnormal speeds...just looked like someone driving down coast with cops behind and his hazard lights on, going 40-50 mph. then drove off the cliff," Shryock shared.

Carlsbad Police say it all started around 4:00pm Pacific when the driver crashed his car into the fence surrounding the city's Fleet Maintenance Department on Impala Drive. The driver then took off.

Police say they started chasing the car when the driver refused to stop, but out of safety concerns, they called it off at Palomar Airport Road, west of Avenida Encinas. That's less than a half-mile from where the driver plunged off the cliff and survived.

"That's crazy to survive something like that, and it's upside down, so...definitely an impact," said Sam Munday, another witness.

While traffic investigators spraypainted the area to recreate what happened, people on the beach stopped and stared, amazed at just how far the car fell.

Though investigator say drugs and alcohol don't appear to be a factor in the crash, they're still working to figure out what prompted the incident.