Man killed after Mercedes jumps interchange ramp in Pacifica

PACIFICA, Calif. (KGO) -- A horrific car crash has police wondering how a Mercedes Benz plummeted 30 feet away from the freeway interchange of Highways 101 and 92.

Jayesh Patel's wife found the wreckage by tracking his smart phone. He died in the crash.

"She had originally reported her husband missing to the Pacifica PD," said Art Montiel of the California Highway Patrol. "At some point she started using an app to find my iPhone to try and locate her husband."

The Mercedes sedan somehow careened off the interchange ramp connecting California 92 to US 101.

It came crashing down just yards from an office complex.

"Friday night we were having our Christmas party in our office, and several of us had come outside throughout the event," said Mark Frederick, who works nearby.

Frederick said he didn't hear anything Friday so he was surprised to see the police and coroner's office at the scene.

He's trying to figure out how the car made it off the interchange ramp.

"Yeah, that's definitely something that we're looking into," said Montiel. "To see how fast the vehicle was going at the time."

He says the barriers are designed to ping pong vehicles within the ramp so they don't go over the top. Investigators are still examining the smashed up vehicle to see if there are any signs of mechanical failure.