On Monday, Aug. 20, a missing person's report was taken listing a red 1997 Chevy Tahoe as a vehicle associated with three people last seen either Aug. 4 or Aug. 5 in Garberville.

On Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 10:45 a.m., a red Chevy Tahoe with extensive collision damage was discovered by a citizen, approximately 150 feet over an embankment on Hwy. 101 south of Confusion Hill in Mendocino County.

The bodies of three deceased adults were located in the vehicle. The Chevy had been traveling from Garberville to Leggett. The collision appears to have occurred Aug. 4-5, the dates the missing persons were reportedly last seen.

The driver of the Chevy, 38-year-old Phillip R. Manus of Leggett, was identified by family members at the scene and had been listed as one of the missing persons.

The Chevy was not visible from the roadway and any evidence of a collision was not obvious. Two of the tree occupants had their seatbelts on at the time of the collision. DUI as a contributing factor to this collision is being investigated.

The names of the remaining occupants have not been released pending positive identification and next of kin notification.