Shocking dashcam footage shows car driving off cliff in California

Dramatic dashcam video has emerged of a car appearing to drive at speed off a coastal road and over a cliff's edge in California.

Local police released the footage showing a dark SUV as it flies off Highway 1 in San Mateo County, near San Francisco. The car is seen airborne before it disappears from the frame.

According to a report by The Mercury News, the driver who caught the dashcam video said the incident occurred just before 11am on December 30 (local time).

A Facebook post by the California Highway Patrol confirmed the Coast Guard, local emergency services and "several" rescue and dive teams had an unsuccessful search, as no bodies or vehicle were found.

"Search efforts had to be called off due to dangerous water conditions and have remained this way through Thursday morning," the post said.

A California Highway Patrol public information officer told The Mercury News the only witness appears to be the person who caught the dashcam footage, and the video doesn't show why the car drove off the cliff.

"All it shows is the vehicle veering off the cliff," Bert Diaz said. "There's no before, and so at this point, we don't have any information."

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has now taken over the search and recovery effort.