California dad dies after car plunges off cliff during driving lesson with teen daughter

Driving lesson ends in fatal crash in Laguna Beach

The teen who had a learner's permit was badly hurt, but the adult passenger was killed.

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - A man killed during a driving lesson with his teen daughter in Laguna Beach has been identified.

What we know:

The fatal crash happened on Monday, May 26, around 4:15 p.m. on Coast Highway between Wesley and Montage Resort drives.

A preliminary investigation revealed the car, driven by a 15-year-old girl with a driver's permit, crashed through a fence in the upper parking lot of the now-shuttered Gelson's Market at 24 Monarch Bay Plaza, according police. 

The vehicle then broke through a fence barrier, and rolled 40 feet down an embankment before flipping upside down onto the highway.

The girl sustained significant injuries and was taken to the hospital. She is expected to survive, police said. 

Her father, James Politoski, 64, of Laguna Beach, was identified as the only passenger in the vehicle. He died at the scene. 

What we don't know:

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. 

What's next:

The Laguna Beach Police Department is continuing its investigation into the incident.