Jeep Driver Survives Six-Story Plunge From California Parking Garage

A man drove his Jeep off the top of a six-level parking garage and landed across the street on a McDonald’s in Santa Monica, California, authorities said Sunday.

The 20-year-old driver from Twentynine Palms, California, "while injured, was conscious, suffering and speaking with officers when they arrived" shortly after midnight, according to a press release from the Santa Monica Police Department.

Firefighters extricated him from badly damaged Jeep and he was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, the Santa Monica Fire Department said.

Two passengers in the Jeep managed to jump out before it was driven off the parking garage, the fire department said.

Because the driver was receiving medical treatment, officers were unable to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident, according to police, who added that the investigation is ongoing.