According to the California Highway Patrol, just before 11 p.m. the driver lost control on a sharp curve near Montebello Road and Stevens Canyon Road in an unincorporated section of Cupertino. The car then fell 300 feet into a ravine.

The crash killed two men in their early 20s, Jivko Bebelekov of San Jose and Diyno Dinvev of Sunnyvale. Rescue personnel took a third passenger, Ralitza Dineva, to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center with major head injuries. The driver, Sunnyvale resident Mario Marinov, 24, was able to walk out of the ravine.

Marinov flagged down a police deputy. The deputy climbed into the ravine to help the three passengers and in the process broke his back. His colleagues had to rescue him with a rope.

The crash closed Montebello Road for several hours. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident and said alcohol was not believed to be a factor. The injured deputy has undergone surgery.