A teen girl’s rite of passage ritual of learning how to drive with a trusted adult turned into a tragedy. The teenager, who had just received her learner’s permit, drove the Volkswagen Beetle through a small wooden barricade and over a 40-foot cliff in Laguna Beach, California. The driving lesson ended with the death of her father, a totaled car, and a hospital stay for the student driver. Photos from the crash depict the insufficient guard railing and the severity of the crash that resulted in the loss of a life.
The father and daughter were practicing in a parking lot.
The 15-year-old girl was driving in the upper parking lot of a former Gelson’s Market with her father James Politoski around 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, 2025, The Los Angeles Times reports. The grocery store had closed down on March 2. While in the car, the teen drove straight through a wooden fence on the edge of the parking lot, sending the car over an embankment. The car, a blue coupe, landed on its roof.
Rescuers pronounced James Politoski dead on site.
When rescue crews arrived at the South Coast Highway between Wesley and Montage Resort Drive, they pronounced 64-year-old James Politoski dead at the scene. His daughter was also significantly injured. First responders rushed her to the Mission Viejo hospital. Doctors expect her to survive.
Police believe gas/brake confusion may have caused the crash.
The police are still investigating the cause of the crash. “Gas pedal-brake pedal confusion” may have caused the car to flip over the embankment, Lt. Jesse Schmidt told KCAL. As more details become available, the department plans to share them with the public. In the meantime, the police have issued a message to the family. “The Laguna Beach Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragic incident,” they said.
‘…a parent was simply trying to do the right thing by teaching their child…’ Schmidt said.
Later, Schmidt told the Orange County Register that the community is shaken by this news. “It is always difficult when an accident leads to the loss of life — especially under circumstances where a parent was simply trying to do the right thing by teaching their child a valuable life skill,” Schmidt said. “What began as an act of care and guidance ended in unimaginable sorrow.”
