LONG BEACH, Calif.—An 18-year-old passenger was killed and paramedics rushed two people to a hospital May 13 after a BMW being driven the wrong way by an 18-year-old motorist overturned on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Long Beach, authorities said.
Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 2:29 a.m. Saturday to the area of PCH and State Route 103, the Long Beach Fire Department reported.
Police said the BMW was going westbound in the eastbound lanes when it struck the south curb of PCH, losing control and striking a raised median and another curb before leaving the roadway.
“When the vehicle left the roadway, it became airborne and overturned,” a Long Beach Police Department statement said. “The force of the collision ejected the rear passenger of the vehicle.”
That passenger, an 18-year-old Wilmington man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver—an 18-year-old man from Wilmington—and a front-seat passenger were taken to a hospital.
Police said impaired driving and speed were being investigated as possible factors in the crash.
The department’s Collision Investigation Detail urged anyone with information about the crash to call them at 562-570-7355. Anonymous tips may be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, or by visiting www.LACrimeStoppers.org.
