Laguna Beach, CA – On May 26, 2025, at approximately 2:43 p.m. Laguna Beach police and fire personnel responded to an injury traffic collision in the area of Coast Highway, between Wesley Drive and Montage Resort Drive.
Preliminary investigation indicates that a single vehicle, operated by a young driver with a permit, traveled from the upper parking lot of Gelson’s Market, breached a fence barrier, and continued down an embankment before coming to rest on Coast Highway.
The driver sustained significant injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo for medical treatment.
Tragically, an adult male passenger in the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Additional details will be released as they become available.
The Gelson’s Market in Laguna Beach, located at 30922 Pacific Coast Hwy, is permanently closed. The store closed its doors on March 2, 2024, according to a news release from the company.
It is possible that the permit driver was in the closed Gelson’s parking lot while trying to learn how to drive. Tragically the adult passenger with her died in the car accident.
The Laguna Beach Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragic incident.
