California family’s deadly 145km/h plunge off cliff may have been intentional, police say
Sarah and Jennifer Hart and their six adopted children are all believed to have died when their SUV sped off a cliff and into the ocean
An SUV carrying a large, free-spirited family from Washington state accelerated straight off a scenic California cliff and authorities said Sunday night the wreck that is believed to have killed all eight family members may have been intentional.
Five members of the Hart family were found dead. The search continued for three more children believed to have been in the vehicle when it went over a coastal overlook and landed on rocks in the Pacific Ocean below. The missing children may have been washed out to sea, authorities say.
“This specific location is very difficult to search because the ocean currents and tides are strong, it’s unpredictable, and the murkiness of the water makes it difficult to see,” said Captain Greg Van Patten, a spokesman for the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.
The SUV was travelling at 145km/h before it plunged off the cliff, according to court documents obtained by a local TV station.
Fox affiliate KPTV in Oregon reported that the SUV’s speedometer was “pinned” at that speed.
Authorities don’t know exactly when the wreck took place. A passing motorist discovered the vehicle on March 26, three days after social service authorities in Washington state opened an investigation apparently prompted by a neighbour’s complaint that the children were being deprived of food. Authorities believe at least one felony was committed but Van Patten declined to specify it.
Well before the wreck, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Douglas County, Minnesota, telling authorities “she let her anger get out of control” while spanking her six-year-old adoptive daughter, court records show.
Devonte drew national attention after the black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Oregon, over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri. Devonte was holding a “Free Hugs” sign.
Two weeks ago, Bruce and Dana DeKalb, next-door neighbours of the Harts in Woodland, Washington, called state Child Protective Services because Devonte, now 15, had been coming over to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food.
Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her his parents were “punishing them by withholding food.” The boy asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said.
Social service authorities opened an investigation, and a state caseworker went to the house on March 23 but didn’t find anyone home. The agency had no prior history with the family, said Norah West, a spokeswoman with the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.
On Thursday, authorities in Washington state combed through the family’s home for information. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were looking for bills, receipts or anything else to shed light on why the family left and other circumstances related to the trip, KGW-TV reported.
“To the best of my knowledge, there was not a suicide note found at the residence,” Baarts said.
Family friend Max Ribner last week took issue with the notion it was something other than a tragic accident. The couple adopted the six children, many of whom came from “hard backgrounds,” he said. “They transformed these kids’ lives.”
