Woman who killed passenger in 100-foot Pescadero cliff crash convicted

(KRON) — A woman whose passenger died after she drove off a 100-foot cliff at Pescadero State Beach pleaded no contest. Madeline St. Pierre, 26, of Arcata, Calif., is now facing a maximum sentence of two years in state prison.

On Friday, she pleaded no contest to felony vehicle manslaughter before her case moved forward to a jury trial, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said.

The harrowing cliff crash happened around 10 p.m. on October 12, 2023 while St. Pierre was driving a Kia, prosecutors said. Nicolas Vargas, 29, of Watsonville, was a passenger in the backseat.

St. Pierre was driving on Pescadero Creek Road toward Highway 1 when she blew through a stop sign, crashed through a metal guardrail, and plunged over a 100-foot-tall cliff, according to investigators.

The Kia was partially submerged in the ocean, the California Highway Patrol said, and a witness called 911.

When emergency crews arrived, the driver and her front seat passenger were attempting to pull Vargas out of ocean. Vargas died from his injuries.

CHP officers at the scene noted that St. Pierre smelled like alcohol, and they arrested her on suspicion of DUI. St. Pierre suffered a fractured tailbone, and her front seat passenger suffered a fractured wrist, prosecutors said.

During Friday’s plea hearing, prosecutors asked the judge to immediately remand St. Pierre into custody until her sentencing hearing. The judge denied the motion and allowed St. Pierre to remain out of custody until she is sentenced on January 12, 2026.