Wharf Crash Victim Identified as Teen; Driver Still Hospitalized

A man who died in a car crash off the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf Saturday night was identified as 19-year-old Robert Halpin, police said today. A second person inside the car, a 20-year-old Santa Cruz man, remains in critical condition, according to police. Shortly before 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, police officers and firefighters responded to a report of a car that crashed through a guardrail and went into the water at the wharf, located at 21 Municipal Wharf, police said.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard also responded to the incident, fire officials said. After several dive attempts, rescue swimmers pulled the 20-year-old man from the car and took him to the Cowell Beach shore, where emergency crews treated him before he was transported to Dominican Hospital, according to police and fire officials.

Halpin was taken out of the car by wharf maintenance divers and transported to a Coast Guard Vessel, where medical personal conducted life-saving measures, police and fire officials said. The 20-year-old was also taken to Dominican Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The vehicle fell 25 feet underwater and was later pulled out, police said. Police divers on Sunday looked for evidence near the site on Sunday and investigators are looking into whether a mechanical problem on the vehicle was a factor in the crash, police said. Witnesses reported the vehicle sped before it made a sudden turn to a parking spot, then crashed through the rail and into the water, according to police.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the police investigations unit at (831) 420-5995.

--Bay City News