New SUV rolls back off Hallett Cove clifftop while owner pops to shops

A Hallett Cove man’s quick trip to the shops turned into a nightmare when his new car rolled off a 40m cliff.

A shocking sight has greeted a Hallett Cove car owner when he came home to find his new Chery SUV had fallen off a cliff.

The car reportedly rolled down a driveway and hill before dropping 40 metres over a cliff opposite, crashing on to rocks below while the owner’s son, Marcus Mitchell made a quick trip to the shops.

“I was glad that no one was injured or got in the way of the car when it went over the cliff and of course, there was nobody in the car thankfully either,” Mr Mitchell told 7News.

The car at the bottom of the 40m cliff at Hallett Cove. Picture: 7NEWS

The car at the bottom of the 40m cliff at Hallett Cove. Picture: 7NEWS

The owner said the Chery SUV had been suffering battery issues since it was purchased seven months ago. Picture: 7NEWS

He said he left the car running after jump-starting it due to ongoing battery problems, after buying it seven months ago.

“(The neighbours) saw obviously the car coming down the hill and going straight over the cliff,” he said.

“It’s completely written off, it’s damaged on all sides so it looks like it’s had a bit of a roll but it’s sitting up right and all the airbags seem to have deployed.

“The problem that I had was there was a brake switch that was flattening the battery every day and that meant that the battery eventually got damaged, which I then replaced – but there was still some kind of electrical draw flattening the battery … and that’s why I had left it running at the top.”

He said he thought he put the brake on.

The Hallett Cove man added the difficulty now would be in retrieving the car.

Originally published as New SUV rolls back off Hallett Cove clifftop while owner pops to shops