MALIBU—On Wednesday, June 2, at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Lost Hills Station responded to call of a collision in the vicinity of the 4200 block of Decker Canyon Road. Drivers traveling between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Coast Highway were encouraged to take alternate routes.
LASD First responders discovered that a 29-year-old female driving a black and blue 2013 Polaris RGR-800 Crew Side-by-Side ATV had rear-ended by a 51-year-old female driving a gray 2016 Mazda as they were traveling southbound on Decker Canyon Road. The ATV plunged down the cliff 350 feet and was found upside down at the base of the cliff. The driver of the ATV was deceased.
Canyon News initially reported this incident incorrectly stating that it was the driver of the Mazda who rear-ended the ATV. That is not the case, it was the other way around. The ATV driver rear-ended the driver of the Mazda and then drove off the side of the cliff. It was never the intent of Canyon News to cause the driver of the Mazda additional trauma and do apologize for the misprint.
Authorities later released the name of the deceased to be, Sophia Hutchins, the dear friend and manager of longtime celebrity, Caitlyn Jenner.
Road closures stayed in place for several hours, while emergency crews cleared the area and officials conducted a full investigation.
On June 2, at 4:00 p.m., updated reports advised that Decker Road (Highway 23) was still closed in both directions between the Pacific Coast Highway and Decker Edison Road.
By Sharon