MARIN (CBS SF) — A fatal crash in west Marin County that blocked state Highway 1 for nearly four hours Saturday was determined to have been a suicide, a California Highway Patrol officer said.

An 83-year-old El Sobrante man died when he drove his Chrysler PT Cruiser into a ravine off Highway 1 near Stinson Beach about 11:20 a.m., CHP Officer Chris Rardin said.

The car fell approximately 400 feet down an embankment and came to rest on its wheels, Rardin said.

The driver died at the scene.

The CHP reported that the victim had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer and indicated to his relatives that he intended to kill himself, Rardin said.

The man’s name is being withheld at the request of the family.

Officers directed one-way traffic through the area until about 3:20 p.m.

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